Photograph courtesy Lusayra Velasquez
Rising Latin student fashion designers will premiere their collections of summer looks at the inaugural Ritmo de Verano fashion show and fundraiser on July 15.
Hosted by Latin education nonprofit LULAC Ohio Educational Foundation in collaboration with the College of Design, Art, Architecture, and Planning at University of Cincinnati, seven student designers will showcase their looks at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, followed by a night of salsa dancing.
The show will debut a lineup of designs themed on the “Rhythm of Summer” (translated from “Ritmo de Verano”), featuring flowing fabrics and seasonal outfits from seven Latin DAAP students. All funds raised from the night’s festivities will benefit the LULAC Ohio Educational Foundation, which provides college scholarships to Latin students.
LULAC, which stands for the League of United Latin American Citizens, is the oldest Latin-American civil rights organization in the country, according to Ohio Educational Foundation President Laura Moese. The nonprofit addresses education, women’s issues, and health and wellness, but primarily provides educational opportunities for low-income Latin students through yearly scholarships.
The fashion show fundraiser, which is the first of its kind, is one of many fundraising events that the organization puts on to sustain its scholarships and connect recipients with professionals and jobs in their communities.
“We are connecting all these threads that are building the fabric of our community,” says Moese, “What we are hoping is that we are going to evolve this idea so that it is something we do every year with the purpose of creating scholarships for students, support for students, and awareness of their programs, especially in the Latino community … At the end of the day, we want these students to be successful, and we would love for these students to stay in our community.”
The fashion show begins at 7 p.m., preceded by greetings from representatives of DAAP and Cincinnati Shakespeare Company, as well as a series of guest speakers including Felisa Insignares, owner of the Montgomery boutique Designer Items and More.
Each student designer will take the stage to introduce their designs and explain more about the themes of their collection.
Lusayra Velasquez, a second-year student and coordinator of the fashion show, recruited other Latin students within DAAP to participate in the fashion show by sharing her own experience of receiving a scholarship from LULAC Ohio Educational Foundation. In addition to Velasquez, the participating student designers include Jens Arill, Emi Lopez, Lilian Lucero, Erick Mendizabal, Ella Signorille-Ramirez, and Carlos Zantizo.
Photograph courtesy Lusayra Velasquez
Velasquez also suggested the overall “Rhythm of Summer” theme, inspired by salsa dancing and the movement that it provided for certain fabrics and garments. To fit the theme, she will be featuring swimwear in her collection. “I, then, decided to start sketching how I want to incorporate the flowing silhouettes into my designs,” she says. “When it comes to designing, I always try to attach it to my culture.”
Velasquez incorporated her Guatemalan culture into the costuming not just in her designs on stage, but for ushers at the events as well, using fabric that a friend gifted her from Guatemala to sew their vests.
Following the show, the salsa portion of the evening begins at 9 p.m., featuring a DJ booth and an open bar.
“We want to celebrate everybody’s contributions for joy and for happiness, and the arts do that so well,” says Moese.
Tickets for Ritmo de Verano are $35 and can be purchased online.
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