On a regular day, HSS is bustling with students. But when the building is basically deserted on Sunday afternoons the long, narrow classrooms and the brightly lit halls of the top most floor become runways.
People of Style and Education is the only organization on campus geared towards students interested in the beauty and fashion industries. The group of 25 students meets weekly and participates in group and individual runway walks.
Since established in 2008, P.O.S.E. Vice President Malak Al Duraidi said the group has “become one of the elite groups on campus when it comes to fashion, ‘swagger’ and most importantly academics.”
“The People of Style and Education hopes to not only present the campus with a sense of style, but we also hope that we can become leaders on campus,” she said via email. “I hope that our members will continue the bond we have amongst each other and help members in all aspects of their college experience.”
The completely student-run organization, which meets every Sunday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., is geared towards preparing members for their careers beyond undergraduate education in addition to understanding the workings of a communication-based organization in the fashion industry. Al Duraidi, senior in journalism and electronic media and sociology, said P.O.S.E. not only encourages self-expression through style but also teaches confidence, professionalism and networking.
“P.O.S.E. is a very diverse group of young students who have a passion and drive for learning more about the fashion industry and who seek to better their modeling skills as well,” Al Duraidi said, who has been involved in P.O.S.E. for two years. “Even if you do not want to model professionally, it teaches students how to have confidence in front of others.”
The group participates in multiple UT events during the semester, including the Black Cultural Programming Committee’s annual Stomp Fest, Alpha Kappa Alpha Fashion Show and the Minority Achievements Legend Lecture. They additionally host their annual fashion show every spring, which is hosted off campus in a more intimate setting with a runway feel. In past years they have held their shows at the Relix Variety Theatre and Latitude 35 in Market Square.
Malik Luckett, freshman in political science, initially heard about P.O.S.E. at an informational event about different organizations on campus at the start of the academic year. He signed up, went to try-outs and made the group.
“(I wanted) to get to know people,” he said, “people who were interested in looking nice and in fashion.”
Kaylyn Harris found out about P.O.S.E. at another freshman orientation event, ME4UT’s Jump Minority Trip. The sophomore in advertising and double minoring in business and English, wanted to get better acquainted with UT’s campus before she joined. The group takes 25 new students every year, and Harris made the cut for the current academic year.
“I called my mom screaming and she was excited and happy and it was a great fit,” she recalled.
For Harris, who said she has always been interested in modeling, P.O.S.E. allows her to learn and perfect different techniques of modeling with help from the executive board. And with plans to enter a communication-based industry, she said she also appreciates how the group encourages self-confidence.
“I plan on going to the advertising world where you have to talk to a lot of business people, you have to make a lot of deals, shake a lot of hands, kiss a lot of babies,” Harris said. “P.O.S.E. has taught me a lot about confidence and how to go out there and sell myself to people, market myself to people.”
Luckett describes his personal style as prep, and he often reaches for Ralph Lauren Polo pieces or Vineyard Vines button-downs. Although his interests in style and fashion existed before he joined P.O.S.E., Luckett said the group allows him to really perfect his self-expression.
“It helps with gaining that swagger about yourself,” he said. “It’s important in not only a social arena but also in the real world. Just being confident in whatever you do.”
Harris encourages students to get involved, even if they’re not interested in modeling because the group “utilizes everyone’s talents.” The group also takes people interested in beauty, makeup and hair, as well as choreography and clothing design.
Ultimately for Luckett, P.O.S.E. is a place where he feels comfortable wearing what he wants, conscious of the fact that the officers and other members will appreciate, rather than question, his sartorial choices.
“With these people, I feel like it’s acceptable if I were to just wear a suit for practice,” Luckett explained while at practice Sunday. “They wouldn’t question me. They would say I looked nice.
“If I go elsewhere, they’ll question me and ask, ‘Why are you wearing a suit today?'”
