TEEN BIZ
true star on the scene:
dancin’ for peace I
BY MAYA POWE
magine walking home from school, afraid that with every step you take you’re walking further into danger. Imagine worrying everyday if this is the day you’ll die. Now, live where your mind has taken you. You have stepped into the life of an average Chicago teen. However, imagine yourself in a safe haven, away from the danger of gangs and guns. Open your eyes. You are now front, row and center at True Star’s No Weapons Just Two Steppin’ Dance Down. Sitting in the auditorium of the Gary Comer Youth Center, many people are expecting another lecture on how violence affects their communities. Little do they know, they have already taken the first step in stopping the violence. The focus of this event was both to provide a safe place for teens to have fun and also to raise awareness about prevention of gang and gun activity. To reach this goal, True Star’s Event Planning Team put together an event that would bring teens together in a positive way. Dance teams from all over the city came together and put on a phenomenal show. From footwork to crunk to modern, there was a dance style for everyone in the audience to enjoy. Topping off the event were guest speakers 5th Ward Alderman Leslie Harrison and Claude Robinson (Yukan).
fleurotica fashion show 2008 TAKING GREEN TO THE EXTREME
T
BY PATRICIA BOGARD AND ROSALYNN WESTERFIELD
he atmosphere: Amazing. The mood: Relaxed. The smell: A spring day with freshly watered plants and flowers. The hors d’oeuvre: Scrumptious. The 2008 Fleurotica fashion show, which took place at the Garfield Park Conservatory showcased a number of inspiring designs for the spring / summer season. Each and every magnificent piece was made completely of flowers and other greenery, designed 24- 48 hours before the show began. Who knew you could create a pencil skirt out of tea leaves and an Elizabethan dress out of flowers? A collaborative effort with the School of the Art Institute, the fashionable flowers represented a whole new concept of using new materials. This show took going green to the extreme, showing that you could use nature for almost anything. The show started out with ‘Adam and Eve’ wear, then moved into more ready-to-wear clothing. The models, who unfortunately had to stand for hours since they had to be sewn in their outfits, showed the crowd in less than 2 minutes the inventive ideas of fashion designers as they worked with raw mother nature. As more of an emphasis gets put on the world to change, the fashion industry has already taken its leap towards green. And although the designs won’t last more than a day, the ideas and creativeness will. 40 TRUESTAR MAGAZINE