Black fashion is many things — bold, uncompromising and eye-catching. But Black fashion also isn’t well known outside its community.
So, to honor Black History Month, the UF Leadership Development Institute held a fashion show Friday night at the Institute of Black Culture showcasing all types of Black fashion, from streetwear to officewear and everything in between.
LDI collaborated with UF’s chapter of the Black Student Union for a general body meeting in January related to skincare. But Friday’s fashion show was the first event it’s put on alone.
The show had five contestants – Ayira Alston, Eden-Rose Parkinson, Jameson Jean-Charles, Chimela Onwuchekwa, Ikechukwu Onwuchekwa and Kendrick Onwuchekwa – each who showcased their own spin on Black fashion.
Attendees came dressed in their own fashion senses, derived from what Black fashion meant to them. Music from popular Black artists such as Aaliyah and Destiny’s Child played over the speakers.
Alejandro Ortiz, a member of the Leadership Development Institute and a 19-year-old UF political science freshman, said the group chose fashion as the theme for this month’s meeting in an attempt to do something different for Black History Month.
“We wanted to do something creative, because we tend to go back into a very single minded focus on what it means to be Black,” he said. “There’s so much color to the portrait that is being Black, so that’s why we chose Black fashion.”
Ortiz loves Black fashion because it’s a form of resistance and expression for a culture that's been marginalized for so long. And most importantly, it’s a vision that no one can take away, he said.
The show brought a large crowd. The Institute of Black Culture, a building with a capacity of around 75 people, was filled. Every seat was taken, leaving some to stand due to the lack of sitting room. Most wore streetwear, bold colors and gold jewelry.
Ayira Alston, an 18-year-old UF computer science freshman, walked in the show and showcased an “office siren,” inspired outfit, dressed in a sharp black skirt, white blouse, and red leather corset topped off with a pair of black cat-eye glasses.
Originally though, Alston said she wasn’t going to participate in the show. She only decided to do so two days in advance, she said, after someone messaged her to sign up. Despite her outfit being last minute, she said it represented exactly what Black fashion meant to her.
“It just means authentic expression,” she said. “Just showing our culture through whatever’s in our closet.”
The winner of the show, 21-year-old UF health science senior Chinonso “Kendrick” Onwuchekwa, said he also didn’t originally plan to participate.
Despite that, he oozed confidence walking down the runway. He was dressed in a baseball cap, baggy pants, a white shirt and tracksuit top, all which paid homage to 90s and early 2000s legends like Tupac and Nelly.
“Honestly I was very nervous, I was talking myself out of it,” Onwuchekwa said. “But I’m really happy that I did, because it was a win for street wear, for Black fashion.”
As part of the event, UF LDI also invited FACES Modeling Troupe, an organization started at the HBCU Florida A&M University in Tallahassee. The group aims to elevate modeling techniques and foster diversity through art.
Jazmyne Parker, a 22-year-old UF family, youth and community sciences senior and president of Gainesville’s chapter of FACES, said she joined the group because of her interest in fashion.
FACES’ partnership with UF Leadership Development Institute for the fashion event steered away from its usual activities, she said.
“We usually do collaborations as look books for various events,” Parker said. “But this is something new, us giving our input on outfits and how to make them bigger, how to make them better.”
When contestants walked down the aisle, the audience clapped and cheered at their outfits, shouting out expressions of awe at the creativity.
Jemeryas Jordan, a 27-year-old African American fashion, music and film junior at Los Angeles City College and Gainesville native, attended the show because of his love for Black fashion.
“I think that Black fashion speaks across all volumes, across all realms,” he said. “People try to put us in a box, and we’re not that.”
Contact Nevaeh Baker Harris at nbakerharris@alligator.org. Follow her on X @nbakerharris.
Nevaeh Baker Harris is a first-year sports and media journalism major and The Alligator's Spring 2026 Student Government reporter. In her free time, she enjoys watching medical dramas, reading horror novels, and listening to 90s rock music.
