~ NYFW 2023 ~
By JeanAnne Roberts
Copa Style Magazine Events Correspondent
Mrs. DC America 2020
Copa Style Magazine Events Correspondent
Mrs. DC America 2020
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I had always dreamed of being a Victoria Secret Angel. Now the moment had presented itself and I was on my way to New York City to be in my 1st Fashion Show. New York Fashion Week was everything I imagined. As the casting director, choreographer and show opener for Randhawa Brands, I was honored to walk the runway for Amna Inam, Pakistani/Western Designer.
On February 9th, 2023, we had a caravan of 80 models traveling from Washington D.C. to New York City for this spectacular event. Most models took trains and buses, but I drove up the East Coast in my minivan with 5 other fashionistas. As soon as we saw the New York Landscape, I played the song “Welcome to New York” by Taylor Swift. I love the part in the song where Taylor Swift says “Put your broken hearts in the drawer”. To get to this stage took a lot of heart break but with persistence and passion, you can achieve anything. This brand represents young beauty, ageless beauty, plus size and people with disabilities. Lily Brasch is the first woman ever with multiple sclerosis to walk the runway. As Mrs. DC America 2020, one of my platforms is “Age does not define beauty” and Lily’s platform is “Born to Prove”. Driving through the Lincoln Tunnel, I felt myself and many other models were driving into their destiny.
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We stayed at the Hilton Embassy Suite, located on Broadway. Walking into this boutique hotel, I felt a great love for this City and was excited to be chosen to walk on this prestigious stage.
The venue for this fashion show was produced by Hitechmoda and held at Gotham Hall. This historic landmark was built in 1922 featuring a 9,000 square foot ballroom with a 70-foot ceiling and an ornate skylight. It was reminiscent of an ancient amphitheater from the Roman Era.
Randhawa Brands is the designer we would be representing on this stage. This Washington D.C. designer originally from Pakistan would be showcasing her collection in 3 different fashion segments. Since I was the choreographer for the show, I was required to be with the models for the 11 am show on February 10th. When we arrived at the venue, 2 hours prior there was already a line to get into the event. All models were led upstairs and put in groups to be called onto the stage at a specific time. Behind the scenes were last minute touch ups, practicing onstage walk and taking videos and pictures to post on social media. 
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Our host for the event was Lizeth Alvarado. This beautiful lady owns EpicBeautyRx. Her company focuses on helping breast cancer survivors look beautiful. As the red-carpet host, her specialty was interviewing the designer, and many other models that were part of the show to find out their titles and passion for fashion.
The 10:30 am show started right on time and models were lined up by designers. When Randhawa Brands was called, the Pakistani music began to play and added an elegance to the ballroom. Every model had a beautiful dress with color schemes from bridal white to dazzling red. Some of the dresses were 2 pieces showing a subtle sexiness and others more conservative one pieces. Each was a unique piece of art created by the designer. Two of the models I chose for this segment were Ava and Grace Krueger. They are 2 of the top Irish dancers in the entire world.
After this show I went to hair and makeup to get ready for the 5 pm show. Each show had 25 models. My show had many beauty queens including USOA Mrs. Maryland 2023 Julia Chang and print models Becky Fremont and Debra Ovall. My roommate from Mrs. America 2020, Musulain Toomer, Mrs. Delaware America 2020 also came to model for this amazing brand. I also asked Lily Brasch, a beautiful model with multiple sclerosis, to walk in the show and she was an inspiration to many on that stage. At the 5 pm show, we had a Pakistani singer, Haider Hassan. He was a dentist by day and a singer by night. He was extraordinaire and truly made the stage come alive.
As the show started and the singer started singing his beautiful melody, I walked out on the stage. I was wearing a beautiful white wedding gown. After striking a pose, I did a circle around the singer to showcase my beautiful long train while he serenaded me . Next, I walked to the end of the runway doing 3 positions to showcase the dress. At this moment, I saw cameras flashing from photographers and the crowd erupted in applause. I felt like a princess on that stage and hopefully inspired others that age does not define beauty. Many other models came out after me and the entire show was full of energy and excitement. Many models danced to the rhythm of the beat and added extra energy to the fashion segment. The show ended with models flooding the runway. Then the designer, showstopper @Amarillissuccess and Mrs. DC America 2020 walked center stage with one final pose, turned and all the models followed off the stage. The final curtain was the next day ending in a 3-day affair.
I want to say a special thank you to Julia Chang for helping find the exquisite Hair and Makeup Team, Owner Iga Schlegel of NVS Bridal & Beauty . Other sponsors included Photographer @Sarosh_ Photography , Videographer Namlo Bikrant and jewelry designer @arnifashionstore . Randhawa Brands will be returning to New York for New York Fashion Week in September of 2023 with the fall collection. We are hoping Washington D.C. will come again and cheer on this incredible Pakistani/ Western designer.
I want to say a special thank you to Julia Chang for helping find the exquisite Hair and Makeup Team, Owner Iga Schlegel of NVS Bridal & Beauty . Other sponsors included Photographer @Sarosh_ Photography , Videographer Namlo Bikrant and jewelry designer @arnifashionstore . Randhawa Brands will be returning to New York for New York Fashion Week in September of 2023 with the fall collection. We are hoping Washington D.C. will come again and cheer on this incredible Pakistani/ Western designer.
(Design & Layout by Rodney Wayne Branche)