Sitara 2018 PRAYANA | प्रयाण | PROGRESSION

Last night, Sitara put on its ninth annual fashion show by the Pondside of St. Andrews. With the aim of representing Asian fusion fashion in an area that is mostly homogenous, Sitara was a show unlike any others hosted in St. Andrews

This year’s theme was PRAYANA | प्रयाण | PROGRESSION, with the goal of exploring “the progression of magnificent Asian design through the ages of ancient empires.” The stereotyping of Asian cultures, and the inappropriate assumption that all of Asia can be defined as a single culture was proved highly inaccurate throughout the show. Shocker- not all Asians are the same.

When walking into the venue, there were bars on each side of the tent, and the runway stretching through the majority of the area. There was sushi and janettas inside, with plenty of food and beverage stands outside as well. Attendees outfits were varied and welcoming, from traditional Indian dress, to Asian inspired robes and cocktail dresses worn with sneakers, there was a sense of diversity within the style of the crowd.

The show was scheduled to begin at 8:00, and, to no surprise, was a fashionably fifteen minutes late to the start. However, the beginning of the show was definitely entertaining, as once the lights went down, the music slowed, and the models began to creep onto the stage, everyone stopped their conversations, took their snapchat out, and were eager to see what this years show would entail.

The fashion was diverse, with bright colors, embroidery, sheer fabrics, and range of styles for both the men and women, proving that Asian fashion stretches a wider range then one may think. The enteric beading in combination with lace was hard to ignore, and easy to respect. The vibrant colors of the men’s shirts striking, especially in combination with the red and purple lights employed throughout the show. The show was far from your typical ‘models walking down the runway’ type of fashion show. Scattered throughout the show, the models would disappear, and dancers would replace them. The incredible choreography had the crowd going ‘YASS GIRL,’ while screaming and clapping.

The first half of the show was much more intense, as models avoided direct eye contact, and did their absolute best to keep a straight face, despite their friends yelling and screaming from the crowd. The second half however, was a lot more relaxed, as models began to break away from their emotionless looking faces, and begin to bring more colour and animation into their performance, paralleling the lively colors and designs that they modeled.

My favorite look by far, was by “Relax Baby Be Cool” as one of the models stepped out in peacock patterned, red and gold pant suit with a white lace bra underneath. The look was the right combination of both modern and traditional fashion, seemingly the aim of the theme for this years show.

Another show highlight, was when several of high end designer, Stella McCartney’s looks were shown while the DJ played a remix of Justin Timberlake’s “My Love,”- iconic. The music throughout the entirety of the event was the perfect mix of more traditional Asian dance songs and modern pop and rap, making sure that one could singalong. While the show came to a close, the music continued, allowing the event to immediately transition into the after party.

Overall, I thought the show was a success, and although the attendance was not as high as FS or Dont Walk, it is definitely an event worth going to, regardless of your culture or interest in fashion.

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