CAMPUS: Greek pantheon inhabits TAMIU Fashion Show
By David Perez
Bridge Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, April 15, 2025
The TAMIU Fashion Society held its third annual Fashion Show in the second-floor Ballroom at the Student Center. Many guests attended, including alumni who showed up in support of friends who modeled in the show.
Guests were curious to see the March 21 interpretation of Greek mythology through contemporary fashion, including Texas A&M International University student Karen Morales.
Alejandra Chavez poses for photos during TAMIU’s Greek-mythology-themed 2025 Fashion Show in the Student Center Ballroom on March 21. Her outfit is based on the Greek mythological figure Nephele.
“I want to see a little bit of a union of a story as you’re seeing the outfits,” Morales said.
The show was kicked off with an elegant musical number performed by Arleth Rios as the goddess of the Sun. After which, each model came out one-by-one presenting custom outfits designed in collaboration with local vendors, such as Withefits, My Vintage Romance, Phase 4 Vintage, Whimsicore, SMN, VidaVintage, Fers Jewelry and Moonxspilled.
The show served as a reminder of the Fashion Society’s mission to recognize fashion as a creative form of expression, said Fashion Society President Vincent Sanchez Noriega.
“We want to show our local community and bring motivation to people to wear what they want to wear and not be afraid to show it,” Noriega said. “We want to start off by including our students on campus.”
Noriega credits fashion as an outlet that helps them “blossom as a person and become more confident.”
For those attending, including TAMIU student Ana Silva, the repurpose of the Student Center Ballroom into a fashion show was fascinating.
“We’ve been to so many events in this ballroom and it looks different now that they have set up the chairs differently and added the lights,” Silva said. “It looks a lot different.”
She further elaborates, “[I] would like to see how they use the runway, the walks and the fashion as well.”
The Fashion Show provided an example of how TAMIU students establish community on campus. This sentiment was shared by Karen Morales.
“This room is already kind of full and it gives a topic to talk about, something to go together, something to do that is not eating or drinking in Laredo,” Morales said.
TAMIU Event Manager Monica Manrique also served as adviser for the event and had close collaboration with the Fashion Show’s production.
“I feel like it was very natural for me to get along with them because we have fashion in common,” Manrique said. “I’m deeply rooted in fashion; I have been following it since I was a kid.”
Manrique said fashion holds a special place in her life.
“I was not a very confident kid growing up,” Manrique recalled. “So, fashion and knowing how to dress in style made me the person I am today.”
The Greek-mythology-themed Fashion Show will be Noriega’s last as they expect to graduate soon; however, Noriega’s fashion story should not end here. Noriega plans to study business with a concentration in marketing. Their ultimate goal is to start a clothing brand online to promote on social media.
As for future shows, Manrique expressed interest in seeing a Roman Catholic met gala look that plays on the dark side, which is rather rare. Malik Thompson, who dressed as Hades in the show, pitched Norse mythology or cyberpunk as themes for future shows.
