Howard’s Homecoming Fashion Show Tied Beauty, Brains & Family Legacy Together

During homecoming season, the lineup of social activity often includes a ranking of the most popular events- from the football game and the parade, to more niche events like the day parties and the fashion show. And regarding the latter, it’s usually the fashion show that walks away with the most wins.

Spearheaded by Howard University student Indigo Brooks, this year’s homecoming fashion show was titled ‘Pages’ and was centered on a theme of Black excellence and studiousness (a short film of students reading books in a campus library played on a large screen while models walked the runway). The clothes on display were a mix of high-end and contemporary looks and included local Washington, DC fashion designers like Ron David (a Howard alum), and taking a page out of the real fashion industry, Brooks and her team showcased designs by Coach- a moment which gave attendees the chance to see a luxury fashion label being modeled by their peers.

The Coach collection closed out the show with models rocking its Fall/Winter 2018 pieces- a fitting move that ties into the brand’s values of optimism and inclusivity supported by its newest campaign star Michael B. Jordan. Even more exciting was the discovery of legendary fashion stylist Misa Hylton’s daughter, Madison Star Brim, who was the Assistant Fashion Coordinator for the event. Speaking on her daughter’s involvement with the show, Hylton said, “It’s always fun for me to see the creativity level of the new, young and talented. My daughter always keeps me surprised with how fabulous she is!”

When ESSENCE asked Brim about her family legacy and if her mom ever steps in to help with her fashion projects she said, “I’m just excited to be here and have the support of my family. My mom has always been there for me- but I have to do this on my own. It’s such a real honor to have worked with a high-end fashion label like Coach on our runway… and to have top magazine editors attend our fashion show -a Howard fashion show. It really proves that our hard work has paid off.”

“It’s also necessary that we are counted as participants in fashion, you know… we don’t just buy the brands, we are students of the industry- going to class and preparing for the real world after graduation,” says Brim.

Showing excitement for her daughter’s accomplishment, Hylton adds, “Sometimes she may ask my advice about logistics [but] she likes to put in the work and let me sit back and enjoy it.”