The Vault’s Odyssey-inspired Runway Show: A Recap
Written by Roan Vaughan
On May 2nd, the Tripp Commons at UW-Madison’s Memorial Union was turned into a runway for The Vault’s inaugural fashion show. Inspired by Homer's timeless classic, The Odyssey, the Vault’s creative team brought together a diverse group of UW-Madison students as participants, creatives, and spectators to create a beautifully put-together show that captivated its audience.
The Odyssey, the 8th century BC epic by Ancient Greek poet Homer, teaches the importance of family loyalty and surviving through struggle as it follows the hero Odysseus as he fights to overcome adversity and make his way home following the Trojan War. It’s a story that builds up a layered and complex world, but one that, at its core, emphasizes the importance of loyalty to family. It’s also a work that, throughout the years, has been adapted time and time again, with different interpretations of its characters, setting, and plot. The Vault’s take on it, like the original work, multiple films, and theatrical renditions, uses its medium to bring its viewers into the world of The Odyssey.
The show, curated by the Vault’s creative and styling team, featured 25 student models, each one representing a character or object of importance mentioned in The Odyssey. Featuring a voiceover describing the tale and its characters, as well as music inspired by the exhilarating and tense moments of the story, the show was able to bring its audience into the world created by Homer so many centuries ago. The outfits ranged from classic designs — like one of Odysseus’s crew mates, dressed in a white linen shirt, jeans, and a tan vest — to more experimental choices, like special-effect lenses, and a jacket decorated with a variety of flowers.
Some characters, more well-known than others, require little differentiation from their usual look but were still given a personal touch. A good example of this is none other than the story’s protagonist, Odysseus. The first character to step on the runway, Odysseus (modeled by Francis Faye), was dressed in a simple white cloak with a gold sash and simple black shoes. However, when returning home after his long journey, Odysseus is a completely different person, changed from the perils of his journey. The styling team chose to represent that by simply smearing dirt all over the once-clean white cloak. Though this is a choice that could be seen by a more uniform viewer as “lazy”, understanding the story of the Odyssey as the creative team did intensify its meaning. While Odysseus may seem to come out of his journey as the same man from before the war, he has been changed in a way that cannot be undone, “tainted” by what he dealt with. This idea is directly displayed to the audience through the designer's choices.
Pictured Left: Francis Faye as Odysseus.
The Vault has come a long way since its Chipotle-based inception, where President and Vice President Melina Zarboulas and Marlo Pulliam, came together to conceive the idea for the organization. Its purpose, to “offer a platform for creative expression and an exploration of personal interests,” is no better put to work than in the creation of this show. The event was just a sneak peek of all that the creatives of this incredible organization can put together and will continue to do in future events!
Edited by: Pierson Chu, Trey Prater, Netanya Ravid, Lauren Veum, Hailey Yang, and Annelise McDonald
