On April 27, The Caribbean Students Club (CSC) and the Caribbean and African Student Association (CASA) collaborated to host the Sankofa Fashion Show. Sankofa is Fordham’s first fashion show to highlight the blend of fashion and culture, as well as the first event to bring both Rose Hill and Lincoln Center’s Caribbean Students Clubs together.
The event was sponsored by the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) as well as the Fordham Career Center, but was primarily put together by the students in CSC and CASA. OMA reportedly wanted the event to take place back in 2020, but they were forced to reschedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four years later, the spectacular cultural event was finally able to take place.
Upon entering the Sankofa Fashion Show, there were many students wearing spring colors, ready and eager to enjoy a celebration of fashion and expression. The clubs both resonated with the term Sankofa because of its definition, “go back and get it.”
“(It) signifies the culture that both Caribbean clubs share and want to express in this fashion show. It was executed in a very beautiful way and I loved seeing the people on campus involved in expressing their culture through clothing,” Briannie Cepeda, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ’26, said.
Sankofa Fashion Show was held to celebrate and feature the works of young creatives in the fashion industry who are of Caribbean and African descent. It is the first event of its kind ever held at Fordham. Thirteen students from the club modeled clothing from different New York City-based independent designers such as CDJene, Hidden Persona, Duutre, TheNativeline and Motherland Don. The designers set up shop towards the end of the night for students to purchase whatever they would like.
Marie Castro, the assistant director of OMA, emphasized her excitement that the Sankofa Fashion Show was able to come to fruition after years of hold-up.
“When they talked about collaborating, they came to us, brought the event to us. We thought it was a great event because this is something that they actually wanted to happen years ago,” she said.
“This is Sankofa, this is a pure celebration of Caribbean and African culture. I just love that we have this space to celebrate us and to just be genuinely, truly, fully us.” Makayla Fredericks, FCLC ’26
The president of CSC, Makayla Fredericks, FCLC ’26, served as the creator and creative director of the event along with two other students, Souwade Benissan, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCRH) ’25, and Zara Hume, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center (GSBLC) ’25, who also worked as stylists.
“This is Sankofa, this is a pure celebration of Caribbean and African culture. I just love that we have this space to celebrate us and to just be genuinely, truly, fully us,” Fredericks said.
Not only did the event include a fashion show and celebration, but there was also a performance of Beyoncé’s “Halo” by students Bethel Berhe, FCLC ’25, and Szohaib Khan, GSBLC ’25, who also walked the runway as models for the event. The crowd erupted in cheers for the multi-hyphenate performers, signifying the end of the fashion show and the beginning of the reception hour.
“You often don’t see a lot of people that look like us — in terms of height, size, race, whatever it is — walking the runway, and I think it was a really cool opportunity.” Sinhawe Haji, FCRH ’27
During the reception hour, one of the models, Isabella Persaud, FCLC ’26, who walked twice, spoke about modeling and why she felt motivated to be a part of this event.
“In doing this, I think it was a great representation for all the Caribbean and Black people on campus. For me, being Guyanese, it was great to show that off. This being like the first of its kind, I think we did a really good job. It was so fun and it was very fulfilling to do,” Persaud said.
Sinhawe Haji, FCRH ’27, emphasized the importance of featuring Caribbean designers and models at Fordham.
“The reason why I’m here today is because I think it’s a really cool concept that we’re bringing culture to the catwalk. You often don’t see a lot of people that look like us — in terms of height, size, race, whatever it is — walking the runway, and I think it was a really cool opportunity,” Haji said.
The reception hour was filled with music and food that included mac and cheese, Jamaican beef patties and roasted plantains that the students enjoyed. Although there was a very long line to get food, students took to the dance floor while waiting.
After grabbing some food, attendees discussed the clothing that was seen on the runway. Some students were stunned to have seen their classmates on the runway as opposed to a classroom, and others were getting ready to purchase the clothing their classmates modeled.
The night ended with more dancing and a final photoshoot of all the participants in the fashion show.
“We never get this kind of space here, and to be able to make this space along with CASA, it’s something that I never would have thought that I would have done here, it is something I never could have thought was possible,” Fredericks shared.
