The Horn Gallery hosted its second annual Fashion Show on Friday at 9 p.m. By 8:30 p.m., both sides of the upstairs runway were already lined with cross-legged students. A new Kenyon publication, Fashion In Trend (F.I.T.), collaborated with the Horn to create the Lookbook, which awaited audience members on tables near the entrance. The runway, which was marked off with tape, formed a T-shape facing the south wall of the gallery. At the top of the runway hung a maroon cloth backdrop with a beige rug below it. DJ Isaac Martinez ’27 played music in the corner — mostly house and electronic dance music. Several lucky audience members who scored prime seats on the couches pushed up against the wall played Heads Up on a phone. Others leafed through the Lookbook, squeezing together to fit more friends and discussing potential events for the weekend. 

The Horn Gallery’s Art Director, LJ Cavenaugh ’26, came on stage around 9:05 p.m. to welcome everyone and start the show. The first look was presented by Audrey Gibson ’26. Gibson wore a sheer, flowy blue tunic over a white skirt with a green scarf and a miniature cat figurine sitting on her left shoulder. Once she reached the end of the runway, Gibson sat down with a cello and started to play, accompanying the DJ, for the rest of the show. 

The audience’s applause and cheers accompanied each model’s entrance on the runway. The models offered a variety of poses and facial expressions, each eliciting a different reaction from the audience. The models each walked the runway twice, experimenting with different postures and movements during their moment at the top of the runway. Some danced, bringing laughter; others twirled, showing off the intricacies of their attire; and several engaged directly with the audience, making eye contact, alternating emotive facial expressions and blowing kisses. 

Some designs were more subtle than others. Spencer Robinson ’25 wore an outfit that at first appeared as a simple “gorpcore” outfit, consisting of clothing inspired by utilitarian, outdoorsy style often associated with brands like Arc’teryx and Salomon. Robinson’s all-black outfit featured lightning bolts on the back of the puffer vest and jeans. According to the Lookbook, Simon Savoye ’26 used reflective thread to create the lightning in Robinson’s outfit. The confinement of the design to the back of the outfit required careful attention from the audience and particular lighting to reveal the detail. 

Tony Gonzalez ’25 sported a streetwear-style outfit, reflecting his Chicago heritage. He wore a graphic tee featuring Lil Wayne, a “Canadian tuxedo” with bleached designs ranging from abstract linework to a bass clef and two different colored sneakers. Gonzalez explained to Bridget Lomax ’28 in the F.I.T. Lookbook that he was not searching for a specific reaction from the audience: “I’m not here to impress people or anything. If you like it, you clearly have a good taste in fashion, but I’m not ever doing things for a reaction.”

Other looks urged careful examination of all of their elements to grasp the themes of the ensemble. Dylan Gibson ’27 designed two looks modeled by Ella Newgarden ’25 and Melissa Vu ’26. Both models wore silk-like blouses and skirts with crimson ombre dye ascending from the hems. Detailed insects drawn onto the delicate fabrics paired with applied ear adornments and horns prompted audience members to consider the intentions behind the looks. Grace Negroni ’28 fashioned looks for Bee Barton-Biegelsen ’27 and Elaine Preston ’25 out of paper, macrame and plastic bags, highlighting the resourcefulness and versatility of designers and encouraging viewers to reflect on the immense potential of everyday items. 

At the end of the show, stylists accompanied their models at the front of the runway, bowing, hugging and celebrating their work. Finally, all the collaborators lined up and took a collective bow, signaling the end of the show. Everyone stood and applauded, followed by celebratory embraces, flower exchanges and commendatory remarks. In a short interview after the show, Ellie Manning ’26 told me, “I enjoyed seeing my friends walking and their beautiful art appreciated on the runway.” 

The event was brief, lasting around half an hour. After the first walk-through by the models, there was an air of confusion — that’s it? I left yearning for a longer presentation of even more examples of innovative expression and design.  More importantly, however, I left feeling emboldened to dedicate more time to my outfits and more seriously consider clothes as a medium of expression. I felt inspired and excited to attend and possibly contribute to the fashion show next year — and I encourage the same of you, dear reader! With more people involved comes more looks; with more looks comes more variety and with diversity of opinions and expression comes a stronger community, where everyone can be themselves.