Livingstone College in Salisbury, North Carolina, presented The More Than Me Fashion Show, one of the school’s biggest homecoming events for the past four years, The impeccably dressed hosts and co-founders of More Than Me LLC, Tinika and Ronnel Blackmon, took us on a visual and aural feast. R&B entertainer Adrian Marcel and hip-hop recording artist Mykko Montana performed before the frenzied crowd. The audience responded with thunderous applause, supportive outbursts and waving glow sticks. The crowd even danced and sang along.
Returning model and senior Anthony Scott revealed what he will remember from his participation. “This has been a great learning experience. Due to last year’s show, it has opened a lot of doors for me. Just interacting with different designers and meeting different models and what this has contributed to my life is amazing. It’s like a dream come true because I’ve always wanted to model and do all types of runway work. Mr. and Mrs. Blackmon were able to help turn a dream into reality. I’m just grateful and thankful for the opportunity.”
Senior Eric Alston added, “I overcame my shyness and have come out of my comfort zone and now I love modeling. I’m ready to take it to the next level. I appreciate the designers like TP2 who have been a great help to me.”
The design talent included:
1. Ryan “CoCo” Coleman-Atlanta
2. Isaac Spry- Atlanta
3. Cross Colors- Los Angeles
4. Berkli by Jeslie Banks- Detroit
5. EnRize- Los Angeles
6. Randy Gary- Atlanta
7. Akoo- New York, Atlanta
8. Elizabeth Carson-Racker- Tampa, Florida
9. Marco Hall- New York
10. TP2- Atlanta
This success will prove to open doors for the students and organizers alike. Dr. Herman Felton, the chief operating officer and senior vice president of Livingstone College played a vital role in bringing the Blackmons to the campus. He hinted that they will take their expertise to other HBCUs in the future. Talks are in the works to continue the trajectory that will be equivalent to the tours of Ebony Fashion Fair. This time with the added bonus of empowering college students through the worlds of hip-hop and haute couture.
Check out the highlights and fashions in the gallery.
