There are some very exciting events going on in the Women’s and Gender Studies Department within this upcoming week. The department has been working with the Red Masquers theater group to put on the Gender Neutral Fashion Show.
Over the past few weeks, we have been working to create awareness through fliers, social media, and word of mouth. Technical elements like lighting, music, and stage design have also been part of our preparations. Inter-department work and cooperation have been a crucial part of this process in order to put on this event.
We are extremely excited to hold the event on Tuesday April 12 at 5pm in the Genesius Theater. During the event, about a dozen models will show off various interpretations of gender neutral fashion and individual styles. This event is such a wonderful way to bring awareness to ideas inherent to gender studies in a fun, accessible, participatory, and interactive way.
Additionally, I have been facilitating the Gender Neutral Fashion Week on the department’s Facebook page as part of the promotional material for the upcoming fashion show. These posts have highlighted various historical and contemporary figures who have utilized gender neutral fashion as well as historical periods, like ancient Greece and Japan, where specific garments were worn by both men and women.
This project has utilized skills I have been able to cultivate during my undergraduate studies, like research and writing. I have also made use of organization skills, graphic design, brevity of language, and other elements that are typically used when creating classroom projects like presentations.
Collaboration, and effective communication continue to be important elements throughout the internship. While I am utilizing skills that have been cultivated by my personal academic experience, it is such an amazing learning opportunity to work with others who have different abilities than my own. Producing this event and the related materials has been a wonderful demonstration of what can be accomplished when those with different experiences and knowledge come together.
Building Bridges 