At UC Riverside, creative opportunities and student success are at the heart of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (CHASS). VAIN, a student-led fashion editorial club at UCR, held its spring 2024 runway fashion show at UCR ARTS which was co-sponsored by the Office of the Dean.

Held on April 5, VAIN’s spring quarter fashion show, themed “fairy/futuristic,” featured models from UCR and other Southern California universities and attracted an audience of more than 250 attendees. Three brands — HighPriestess Beads, Damned Los Angeles, and Lastly Girly Grime — participated in the fashion show to showcase their designs. 

“With every event we do, we aim to grow and be better than our last,” said Austin Laniyi, VAIN’s founder, co-president, project manager, and fourth-year business economics student at UCR.  “The spring runway show itself is a testimony to our progress.” 

The success of the runway show was supported by the Office of the Dean and Assistant Dean of Student Success Ryan Lipinski who connected VAIN with UCR ARTS. According to Lipinski, in his initial meeting with Laniyi and Williams, he noticed VAIN’s potential to do great things.

“I struggled initially with finding how CHASS could significantly impact VAIN’s runway show given budget limitations,” he said. “It wasn’t until a few months after the initial meeting, when I attended a team meeting at UCR ARTS, that I saw the atrium and knew this was where the fashion show has to be!”

“[Lipinski] saw what we do is an art and a community,” Gabby Williams said, a fourth-year theatre, film, and digital production student minoring in media and cultural studies who also serves as co-president of the club. Williams previously served as the club’s events director and co-vice president after joining VAIN during her second year at UCR. “He fully believed in us, and it made us feel empowered as a group, and CHASS definitely helped us stand out,” she said.

Both Laniyi and Williams, along with VAIN board members, toured UCR ARTS and met with Amy Metcalf, the senior public events manager, and the staff at UCR ARTS. According to Williams, VAIN initially struggled to find the right venue for the Spring fashion show.

“Without CHASS, we would not have gotten the building, the connections we formed with UCR ARTS, and the relationships we formed with them,” Williams said. “We’re grateful for [CHASS].”

VAIN’s spring fashion show was the first project supported directly by the Office of the Dean following CHASS’ significant efforts over the past year to invest in student success, according to Lipinski.

“I couldn't be happier about how the entire process went — Austin and Gabby were great partners,” he said. “I hope this is the first of many student-led activities that CHASS is able to facilitate.”

According to Laniyi, the fashion show also required extensive planning and collaboration, involving task coordination with the board, rehearsals, and event promotion. For each fashion show, VAIN aims to showcase three to five brands focusing on streetwear and couture, and a “wildcard” brand such as HighPriestess Beads. A large focus in preparation for the fashion show involves outreach to local brands and exploring local swap meets to discover and connect with small businesses for the opportunity to showcase their designs through VAIN.

“It’s about open conversations and how we can uplift each other with this event,” Williams said.

For VAIN, the biggest challenge to hosting and planning a fashion show involves the participation and attendance of models during rehearsals. In the weeks leading up to the event, Williams often taught runway routes to a full house of 90 models or even for the first time to a few participants who weren’t able to attend each rehearsal.

“The models are still here and wanting to learn, so I will teach them a million times if I have to,” she said. “I am so appreciative.”

The night of the fashion was filled with memorable moments, but one standout was when a model showcased a couture look that left the audience gasping in awe. According to Williams, the model, unable to visibly see the audience’s reaction due to wearing opaque sunglasses, wore a fur coat with padded shoulder peaks, a black skirt, and black platform boots.

 “The crowd went crazy, taking pictures and video, and so many people came up to me afterward saying [that moment] was amazing,” Williams said.

“How can I not give someone the stage and the opportunity to [express themselves]?” Williams said. “That is the center of VAIN — to be able to express yourself unapologetically, in complete whole with zero judgment.”

Founded in August 2022, VAIN evolved from UCRFITS, which shared photos of what UCR students were wearing in their everyday life on Instagram and is managed by a 17-member board focusing on social media, event planning, public relations, and graphic design. The club’s inclusive approach means anyone involved in its events or following on social media is considered a member. 

“VAIN is a community,” Laniyi said. “We contribute to fostering a sense of belonging for individuals by creating a community in which we advocate for acceptance of all individuals and identities.”

Beyond fashion shows, VAIN organizes bi-weekly meetings, trips, collaboration events, photoshoots, and newsletters, providing a platform for students interested in exploring and pursuing the art of fashion. VAIN also collaborates with other UCs by co-hosting events with fashion clubs across universities such as UC Irvine’s fashion and sneaker club.

“We serve as an example of opportunity and success because we have been able to build a bridge for student creatives and anyone in the space of fashion,” Laniyi said. “This bridge we have built has allowed for a plethora of opportunities to spawn from the connections people have made within VAIN.”

Looking ahead, both Laniyi and Williams envision VAIN becoming a fully-fledged organization that helps student artists and creatives turn their talents into careers. VAIN also plans to expand its events, currently planning for its fall fashion show scheduled for October 2024 and gearing up to host an open market during the winter quarter.

“I hope that this year for VAIN is the most eventful, the most successful, and the most creative we’ve ever been,” Williams said. 

“I'd love for VAIN to make the fashion scene at UCR more prominent,” Laniyi said. “I hope the impact VAIN has is one that leaves a mark on UCR.”

To become a member of VAIN, sign up here.

To connect with VAIN on social media platforms, please visit linktr.ee/vainfashion.

FEATURED PHOTO. A model wearing a shoulder peak-structured fur coat for VAIN's spring fashion show.