(From left) Black Fashion Society president Caroline Sanders McCollum and models Skay Williams and Azaria Wiggins pose outside Bryant Hall. Photo by HG Biggs.
The Black Fashion Society at the University of Mississippi is a confidence-building club for all students with a passion for all things fashion.
“Black Fashion Society is dedicated to empowering underrepresented students to embrace who they are and pursue whatever passion they have,” said Caroline Sanders McCollum, president of the society.
With this spirit in mind, McCollum and Jordan Wells founded Black Fashion Society in 2019.
“I realized there wasn’t a group on campus for minority students who shared a common passion for modeling, fashion or even photography,” McCollum said.
Quay Williams is a Black Fashion Society model. Photo by HG Biggs.
Additionally, Wells and McCollum noticed a disproportionate number of students wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants every day.
“Not many people on campus dress up. People always wear hoodies and joggers. It’s not the type of campus where people dress up. So I thought I’d pick a day of the week and take the photo wearing nice clothes on that day,” McCallum said.
And so the Black Fashion Society was born. More than just a “club,” the society aims to spark a movement. With around 45 members, Black Fashion Society’s roles range from modeling to photography to graphic design.
“We just wanted to start this movement to bring fashion to campus,” McCollum said.
Black Fashion Society strives to welcome individuals from all walks of fashion as well as embrace students from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and gender identities.
Caroline Sanders McCallum is president of the Black Fashion Society. Photo by HG Biggs.
The club was founded with the goal of creating a safe space for African-American and other minority students, but McCollum said anyone is welcome to join.
“It would be great if we could open it up to everyone. I don’t want to be exclusive. I want to be inclusive, so I hope that happens,” McCollum said.
That’s exactly what Black Fashion Society model Quay Williams wants.
“The club has the potential to have more of a presence on campus,” Williams said.
Williams believes there needs to be more minority representation in the fashion industry and on the University of Michigan campus, and he’s particularly vocal about the need for more black male models.
“Male models are underrepresented in the modeling industry because the modeling industry itself is a female-dominated industry, and black people in general are not as represented in mainstream media as male models,” Williams said.
Williams believes this is why many black male models don’t get work from agencies.
“Oftentimes modeling agencies are looking for people with more Eurocentric features.
So a lot of Black models, especially Black male models, feel like they’re not always going to be selected for certain jobs,” Williams said.
Williams aims to recruit more minority male models to create more inclusivity.
Several members of the Black Fashion Society believe the club’s expansion has been hindered by a lack of visibility, and McCollum said that if the club gained more recognition on UM’s campus, it would also see an increase in membership, especially among underrepresented groups.
Azaria Wiggins is a Black Fashion Society model. Photo by HG Biggs.
Azaria Wiggins, a model and senior member of the Black Fashion Society, shared her thoughts on why more people should get involved.
“I would encourage students to go out and get involved with Black Fashion Society because it was the best decision I ever made,” Wiggins said. “It helps build self-confidence and it helps them meet other people and boost their confidence as well.”
Wiggins is right.
As runway practice begins and members transform from students to supermodels, it’s clear that Black Fashion Society is a safe space where members can be bold without fear of criticism.
Williams said the club also provides important exposure to the fashion industry.
“In a way, the Black Fashion Society can also be used for professional development depending on how serious people want to take advantage of the resources it provides,” Williams said.
While job opportunities are a big draw for joining, McCullom explained that one of the reasons for forming the club was to create a community for underrepresented students.
Now a fourth-year student, McCullom will be graduating and entrusting the family she has so carefully built to its younger members.
McCullom has high hopes and dreams for the association’s future and success.
“I really want to grow the numbers of this group. I want it to be a well-known group on campus. I want them to take what they learn from practicing and walking in the shows and apply it to their lives after Black Fashion Society,” McCullom said.
