A night into the unknown with Concordia’s Fashion Business Association
Concordia University’s Fashion Business Association hosts its third annual fashion showcase
Concordia University’s Fashion Business Association (CFBA) took us into the unknown on April 10 with its third fashion showcase, Obscura. The show took place at the Théâtre Cartier and featured 11 designers and their diverse collections.
Tara Aranda, owner and designer of her self-made brand ARANDANO, unveiled her newest collection that centres around the female experience.
“It was meant to be the embodiment of womanhood, so you’ve got dresses, you’ve got a suit,” Aranda said, “[you’ve got] everything a woman goes through: you’ve got a girl boss, you’ve got a girl going out who wants to feel sexy.”
ARANDANO was a fan favourite at Obscura this year and resonated with many people in the audience.
Leonardo Trinidadas, one of the featured designers at the show, displayed his brand Rhapsody with a collection that centres itself around a “desire of leaving the norms.”
“It’s a poetic desire, a feeling that you cannot describe when you’re so excited and you don’t have words about it,” Trinidadas said. “For me, it’s that desire that moves me to just do crazy stuff.”
Some audience members felt that breaking out of societal norms and celebrating authenticity is what fashion is all about.
“I really do believe that it’s a way to just express yourself,” attendee and Concordia student Caitlin Guinan said. “I don’t think it has a set of rules; just have fun with it.”
“Clothes [can be] a part of figuring out who you are,” attendee Emma Sanchez Plamondon added.
This expressive atmosphere is exactly what CFBA aimed to create with its event, according to Kate Paterson, director of internal affairs for CFBA.
“Our theme is very similar to the [film] Eyes Wide Shut—that aesthetic, kind of masquerade ball vibes but without the mask; very mysterious, beauty is kind of hiding and lurks in the corners,” Paterson said. “We really wanted to tap into the beautiful architecture of the space and utilize that.”
Obscura represents a way to discover beauty in hidden places that you might not have thought it lived in. According to Paterson, Obscura is the biggest event CFBA has ever done.
Aside from hosting fashion showcases like Obscura, the CFBA also aims to fill the gap in the Concordia fashion community.
“Concordia doesn’t have a fashion program,” Paterson said, “so it’s such a great way for students that are interested in [fashion] to connect with individuals in the industry.”
CFBA and all the talented designers showcased truly took their audience into an unknown world that night, from the venue and music to the elevated designs and all the people behind the scenes.
Obscura was a night that stood to celebrate the fashion industry through mystery and authenticity. It brought elegance, chaos and so much more as the designers broke through fashion norms and showed how beauty can be subjective, and hidden in all aspects of your expression.
A previous iteration of this article stated that the fashion showcase took place on April 11. The showcase took place on April 10. The Link regrets this error.
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