The 2022 Benefit Fashion show is currently scheduled to be held in the quad in late March, though plans are subject to change depending on the status of campus COVID-19 protocols.
Since September, the Benefit Fashion Show Commissioners — consisting of lead commissioners seniors Grace Hsu and Tiffany Wang and co-commissioners seniors Chris Liu and Amarangana Tyagi and juniors Avani Kongetira and Haley Marks — have been meeting regularly to plan the event.
Tickets will be sold online and are projected to cost $20.
In September, the commission decided on the show’s “Retro” theme and began to advertise for student models. Typically, all proceeds from ticket sales go to a charity chosen by the commissioners.
This year, proceeds will go to the Audrie Pott Foundation, a nonprofit which provides schools with educational presentations on cyberbullying and sexual assault. The organization — which is also coincidentally celebrating its 10th anniversary — is dedicated to the memory of Audrie Pott, an SHS student who died by suicide in 2012 at age 15, shortly after experiencing sexual assault and cyberbullying.
Throughout October, commissioners visited stores to ask for donations and clothing sponsors. They reached out to 18 stores, three of which — Bella Rosa Boutique, Ella Fashion and Camille — have confirmed participation thus far.
The commission also selected theme heads, which oversee the logistics of their respective themes, and assigned models to the themes they signed up for. Theme heads met with models in November before winter break for introductions to get to know one another.
This year’s themes and respective theme heads are: Fun in the Sun (seniors Natalie Lockhart and Casey Gilligan), Country Club (seniors Arya Taymuree and Emily Eckerman), Cultural (juniors Ritisha Byri and Kate Hsiung), Music Festival (seniors Sadaf Sobhani and Caroline Keogh), First Date (juniors Avani Kongetira and Eva Ruemmler), Design Your Own (seniors CC Guarienti and Raina Hirekatur), Vintage (seniors Harshini Velchamy and Brooke Huynh), Girls’ Night Out (seniors Maya Cranz and Kaylie Wong), Bromance (seniors Chris Liu and Ishaan Bhandari), Streetwear (seniors Arya Vasani and Ryan Lee) and Prom (seniors Esther Luan and Tiffany Wang).
With around 200 model signups, this year’s show has seen one of the highest participation levels in recent years compared to 2021 magazine’s participation numbering 81 models. While most themes have an average of 12 models, others like Vintage, Bromance and Streetwear boast 30 to 32.
This year, the commission has created two new themes: Music Festival, which replaces the previously difficult Boho theme, and Streetwear, this year’s most popular theme.
For Tyagi, the Prom theme is her favorite due to its sense of exclusivity.
“[The Prom theme] is something that you look forward to from freshman year,” Tyagi said. “Prom has always been only for upperclassmen, or only for seniors like it is this year. So it’s something that’s kind of exclusive, plus the dresses are really pretty so I am excited.”
This month, the Benefit commission will begin placing T-Shirt orders for participants, finding a tech director, creating the program and finalizing the catwalk music and ticket sales.
Advertising and fitting will begin the first week of February and continue into the second week. During the third week, the commission will finalize the programs and prepare decorations. During the last week leading up to the event, T-Shirts will be distributed, decorations will be completed, fittings will be finalized, walks will be taught, hair appointments will be made, clothes will be picked up and the stage will be set.
Tyagi said she’s looking forward to the day of the show and hopes everything runs smoothly.
“My favorite part of Benefit would be the whole atmosphere that day. Everybody’s there for four hours and it’s fun because everybody’s talking and walking,” Tyagi said. “You get to see all the different outfits that people have put together, and then you get to strut.”