The Asian Student Union hosts its annual Cultural Fashion Show
Hanna Dykema
Copy Editor
May 26, 2023
Red Carpet Ready – Students showcase their cultures on the runway.
From vibrant shades and fabrics to different styles and accessories, each culture has its unique traditions and characteristics. The Asian Student Union (ASU) celebrated this fact by hosting its annual Cultural Fashion Show, where fashions from various regions were showcased on the red carpet. Students displayed cultures from Korea, India, Thailand, Colombia, and much more.
One of the runway models, Habiba Moawad (11), represented her home country of Egypt and had a great experience participating.
“I walked with my sister…and we wore a dress piece called a ‘Thobe,’” Moawad said. “It is a Palestinian dress, so we chose to represent our home country and then Palestine as a country. Walking down the runway was actually pretty cool. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought, so I highly encourage people to do it next year.”
Not only was this a time to celebrate fashion from around the globe, but students also had the chance to delve into other cultural realms.
“ASU Fashion Show consisted of the runway fashion show for the first 10 [to] 20 minutes, and afterward everyone broke off to play cultural games, eat cultural food, and do crafts,” Moawad said.
This isn’t the first time the ASU has hosted this event. Last year the newly formed club introduced the fashion show. However, ASU President Vivian Vu (12) notes that this year they hosted the show bigger and better than before.
“Better preparation went into the event as a whole, ensuring all participants went to rehearsals to strengthen the performance of the show,” Vu said. “Putting more thought into the decoration of the event [also] improved the Cultural Fashion Show overall.”
Both Vu and Moawad saw this event as a great opportunity to honor the diverse cultures within Westfield.
“It is important to celebrate different cultures because it keeps our traditions in reoccurring generations,” Vu said. “[It] allows the students of Westfield to feel more comfortable in their skin and to form a bigger unity amongst Westfield as a whole.”
Moawad sees it not only as an opportunity for celebrating cultures but as an opportunity to learn.
“I think it is so important for Westfield to host cultural events because it is vital for our education,” Moawad said. “Growing up Middle-Eastern and Muslim in America is an eye-opening experience.”
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