Models will walk down the runway appearing inside out, with the body’s anatomical parts on full display.
This year marks the first annual Anatomy Fashion Show, coed pre-med fraternity Phi Delta Epsilon’s philanthropic event, on Sunday in Ackerman Grand Ballroom. The models’ minimally dressed bodies will be covered in paint, each depicting a different L.A. artists’ version of how they view the body.
All of the proceeds from the event will go toward the fraternity’s partner, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, which is part of a bigger network run by Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals.
The event is also part of the “Stand for the Kids” campaign by the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, whose goal is to bring awareness to and appreciation for not only patients, but also their caretakers, nurses and custodial staff.
The models will be painted with visual representations of the anatomical system, from the cardiovascular system to more creative interpretations, such as clockwork and gears, to portray the body as a machine.
Phi Delta Epsilon decided to focus its philanthropy event on expanding a similar function held at a sister chapter in Florida.
Elias Saba, a fourth-year physiological science student and president of Phi Delta Epsilon, said he wanted to bring this philanthropic event to campus to advocate the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and make a purposeful and interesting show.
“A lot of us in (Phi Delta Epsilon) are very artistic, and we wanted to bridge the gap between art and science,” Saba said. “We thought, ‘Anatomy’s beautiful, the body’s beautiful, so why don’t we celebrate that?'”
Members of the fraternity emailed high schools and art schools, posted Craigslist advertisements and passed out flyers on their search for artists to showcase their interpretation of the human body at the event.
The fraternity chose a team of more than 30 artists from all over Los Angeles, from high school art students to professional artists. There will also be more than 30 models that will walk down the runway to display the artists’ work, which will take several hours to paint on.
Daniel Baghdasarian, fourth-year molecular, cell and developmental biology student and vice president of programming for the fraternity, was in charge of getting the models together, as well as the paint and supplies.
He contacted models through various modeling agencies and asked a cappella groups to perform through email. He also found models through word of mouth, resulting in a few UCLA students who will walk down the runway.
Because the fraternity has never attempted to organize an event of this magnitude, Baghdasarian said the initial planning was difficult because they didn’t know where to start.
“I think (the audience) should expect to see something very innovative and new. We’re trying to focus on the human body as a symbol of beauty,” Baghdasarian said.
Bruin Harmony and Resonance A Cappella will perform, providing the soundtrack for the evening. There will also be booths auctioning donated goods from different sponsors that Baghdasarian reached out to.
Michael Wang, fourth-year physiological science student and vice president of finance at Phi Delta Epsilon, was in charge of obtaining donations and items for the auctioning booths at the Anatomy Fashion Show.
Wang said it was a little challenging at the initial stages of organizing and obtaining the auction goods, such as gift baskets and gift cards, as well as coordinating with the representatives and vendors.
“A lot of times it’s difficult to obtain donations or items to make this event a success. … (It) takes a lot of perseverance,” Wang said. “(However), over the course of these past 10 weeks, it’s rewarding to see everything falling into place.”
Saba and Baghdasarian said they think that people usually paint science students as being solely interested in science and mathematics, but many members of their fraternity appreciate art or are artists themselves.
Tickets can be obtained from members of the fraternity on Bruin Walk, as well as the Central Ticket Office leading up to show.
This event will showcase the involvement and dedication of the hospitals, artists, models and the fraternity, Saba said.
“I’m excited to go and see all of these people there who took a few moments out of their day because they really care,” Saba said. “I think the main purpose of this event is for the awareness. It will be amazing to see how many people are invested in the lives of others.”