The Anatomy Fashion Show was hosted by AU’s medical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon, on Oct. 1 in MGC 2-5. Each model on the catwalk represented the stages of embryonic evolution as they wore shirts with painted bodies depicting different organs and bodily systems; hence, the name of the event.
Upon entry, attendees were entered into a raffle and given a ticket to vote for their favorite model after the show was finished. All ticket proceeds will go directly to Children’s National Medical Center, the only exclusive pediatric provider in D.C.
Phi Delta Epsilon Finance Chair Zach Smith and Recruitment Chair Sarah Sleiman were emcees for the event. The theme of the night was human development. Smith and Sleiman narrated how an embryo develops as each model -- made up of nonmembers and members of the fraternity -- strutted down a well-lit makeshift catwalk in an otherwise dark, gray room.
The emcees kept the topic of fetal growth interesting by sharing fun facts during the show. The life cycle began with the meeting of the sperm and egg joining together to form a zygote, which was physically modeled by three people who each wore a t-shirt and body paint representing their specific anatomic function.
A highlight on the runway included a moment when the sperm and egg models hugged in the middle of the catwalk to symbolically form a zygote and elicited a chuckle from the crowd. Receiving some of the loudest applause was a model dressed as a skeleton. Smith closed the show with what he said to the audience is one of the most important molecules in forming life: DNA.
After each model walked down the runway, they all lined up on the stage waiting to see who won the audience over with their walk. There were three winners: Aijah Raghanl, Max Leopold and Kathleen Grace. Audience members also won prizes in a raffle that included gift cards to Cava, Cactus Cantina, Panera, Starbucks and Giant. Models mingled with the audience after the show.
The Anatomy Fashion Show was worth the admission price of $5, providing a fun way to learn about embryo development and support the Children’s National Medical Center.
