Page 15 - Priorities #55 2013-March/April

To Chris & Wai,... we sure will miss you next year. Friends and fashionistas forever!
Luv, Sharon & Ida
Priory Fashion Show
A Conversation with Veteran Organizer and Priory Parent Chris Willhite
How did this all begin?
When Priory was an all-boys school there were several shows during the 1980’s that showcased boy’s fashions. The Fashion Show reappeared in community life at Priory in 2008.
How did you become involved?
I remember that day very clearly. As I was walking across the campus, a Priory parent ran up to me with excitement. She said and I quote, “You are Chris Willhite. I’m so excited that you volunteered to coordinate the fashion show here at the Priory!” Well, needless to say, I didn’t know my sister in-law Stana Willhite volunteered me, but forgot to tell me.
How did you get started on the first show?
Personally, it was the beginning of a great journey. I began by recruiting students to sign up for the show. It was not an easy task, initially, because the students felt they needed to have a certain look. The first year, it was a great opportunity to help celebrate and honor Priory’s 50th Anniversary.
What are your primary goals for the Fashion Show every year?
Actually, the Fashion Show is not really about goals for me as much as it is about my passion to make this an opportunity for the students to come and have fun. It’s not academic. It’s not competitive sports. They don’t have to be the popular kid at school, and most importantly, anyone can become a model. How you’re shaped, your height, your color -- none of these things matter.
What message would you send to the students from this experience?
Being involved in the Fashion Show is not about replicating an image we often see projected on the front pages of glamour magazines or in Hol- lywood. This is about having a positive self-image on or off the runway.
After six years working on the Fashion Show, what would you like to say to the Priory community?
They say it takes a village to raise a child. It takes a village to grow a production. The scope, magnitude, and popularity of the show would not have occurred without the dedication and help of the students, parents, faculty and staff.
The Gala Fashion Show highlights the Project Priory student-designed work and bolsters community visibility by including local vendors and designers.
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