Lynn English students showcase style at fashion show

LYNN – Lynn English High School students strutted their style on the red carpet Thursday night for friends and family as part of the school’s first ever fashion show.The show featured more than two dozen students who marched – hands on hips – down a red carpet laid out at the school’s library. The boys and girls showcased their everyday wear, spring styles and formal prom outfits as student announcers listed off fun facts about each model and music blared from speakers.View a photo gallery of the event.The show, orchestrated by Lynn English librarian Linda Barefield, is a fundraiser for the class of 2012, but it also provided students like Chabeli Hernandez an outlet to do something creative.”I’m all about fashion,” the senior said before the show. “I love fashion, I live, breathe and eat it.”Hernandez, who modeled khaki capris, Steve Madden wedges and a white collared shirt for the everyday wear, said she’s considering going to school next year for fashion merchandising and that Thursday’s show gave her experience in the industry.”If I ever did a fashion show in the future,” she said.But the fashion show wasn’t limited to aspiring fashion stars like Hernandez. A group of football players also volunteered to walk the red carpet.Junior Joshua Batista, a wide receiver for Lynn English’s football team, said he loved modeling the prom wear donated from Men’s Warehouse in Danvers because it was tailored to fit each model.”They look really nice on us,” he said.Batista and his teammate, sophomore Victor Herrera, said they weren’t nervous to make the transition from football to fashion.But it was a big transition, Batista said.”It’s different ?cause in football you’re like just hiding, and this is all in the open,” Batista said of the bright lights, cameras and rows of people watching him model.Herrera said he originally agreed to do the fashion show because he wanted to show support for Barefield, who he said is always supportive of the students.”If we have to do homework and stuff, she opens the door for us,” he said.Barefield and the students worked long hours soliciting clothing rentals, food and lighting, and music from local stores. The show soon became a multi-school event as students from Lynn Vocational Technical Institute’s department of cosmetology helped the models get camera ready.Even Lynn police officer Shirley Compaore volunteered her service – as a makeup artist.Compaore, who runs a makeup company when she’s not policing Lynn, said she was happy to participate in such a fun event.”I love beauty,” she said. “I wanted to be a hairdresser before I became a police officer.”Thursday’s bright runway lights also highlighted the school’s African-American club, which hosted the event along with the school’s photography and book clubs.Senior Chidima Oranekwu, who volunteered to make sure the models stepped on the runway on time, said she hoped the fashion show made the African-American club a regular name around campus.”People don’t see much of what we do,” she said. “If this goes well, we’re really out there.”Amber Parcher can be reached at [email protected].