SUB — The Powerful Movement of Educated Sisters (PMES) hosted their annual fashion show on Friday, Feb. 28. This year the fashion show emphasized a focus on Black History Month and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Africana Studies department.
PMES is a women's student group at the University of New Mexico under the Black Student Alliance (BSA). The event opened with a performance from the Explosive Dancers, a local Albuquerque group of young hip-hop dancers. Then a brief history was given discussing the origins of the Africana Studies department, which opened in 1970.
UNM student Beth Glenn, a member of the Africana Studies department, was honored during the fashion show. In a YouTube clip shown during the event, Glenn talked about her involvement in the department and what she enjoys about it.
"The people that I work with, the teachers I study under, have instilled so much confidence and just growth — I've grown so much just being here," she said.
The PMES show represented the Africana Studies department by including past and present faculty and directors within the fashion show. Members of the department graced the runway in traditional African garments with colorful textile designs.
The second half of the PMES fashion show featured an original collection by UNM student designer Jeremy Gonzales designing under the pseudonym Jeremih Sinclair. Sinclair's six piece collection combined a mix between a soft color palette and active textile designs, with a focus on childhood innocence.
"I think I just wanted to represent our inner child. That inner kid in all of us that we need to let out sometimes," Sinclair said. His collection includes a full-length silk white dress and a red-gold romper which he described as an "homage to Black History Month" and his identity.
Sinclair said joining the BSA has been an eye-opening experience for him.
"Coming from predominantly white and Hispanic schools I've never been exposed to any of this, and I think it's been really lovely working with other black people," Sinclair said.
All proceeds from the PMES fashion show will be donated toward a prom scholarship that will be awarded to a deserving high school senior in the Albuquerque area.
"The goal every year is to highlight something that is Black History relevant ... It's about highlighting black excellence throughout the community," PMES president Miracle Luster said.
The PMES meets Wednesdays at 3:30 p.m. in the African American Student Services Lounge. For more information on UNM African American Student Services and the BSA groups, visit afro.unm.edu.
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Joseph McKee is a graphic designer at the Daily Lobo. He can be contacted at culture@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @josephdmckee
