April 10th, 2013| 5
nubian message
Cherry Dot Dork clothing on display at the 16th annual AATS Fashion Expose | Kelly Darden
said Bates, “It’s gone through my head
brands slogan “Yeah I’m a dork” is
[quitting school] but it’s important to my
also beginning to be incorporated in
mom that I get my degree, so it’s the least
everyday lingo. “The phrase [Yeah I’m
I can do.”
a dork] stems from being comfortable
with who you are,” said Robertson. “It’s
The Vendors This year’s AATS Fashion
featured
several
vendors
kind of like ‘yeah, I’m a dork. So what?’” Expose and a
special intermission where models, like Bates, showcased their goods.
Cherry Dot Dork offers all kinds of custom pieces and can be purchased online at cherrydotdork.bigcartel.com.
One of the most popular vendors
A dress from Joelle Purifoy’s “Amina” Collection. | Kelly Darden
even wings to her garments, giving the feminine pieces and unexpected edge.
The AATS Fashion Expose is the
among N.C. Students featured in the
longest running fashion show on N.C.
showcase was Cherry Dot Dork.
State’s Campus and every year the
Originally founded by Michael joining Bon Vivant Fashion Society at
The History
Cherry to fund the non-profit
students of the AATS put in many hours and lots of dedication to make sure it goes off without a hitch.
NCCU. Shortly after he began modeling
organization, More than Dance (MTD),
with Bon Vivant, Bates began pursuing
Cherry Dot Dork is now a stand-alone
her “obsession with the islands,”
modeling as a serious profession.
company that promotes self-expression
and Textile Management and Co-
incorporated bright pastels along with
“Modeling was never something that
and self-confidence.
Director of the 16th annual AATS
light and airy fabrics such as cotton and
was really on my mind, but when people
linen into her collection, “Summer in
kept telling me that I should [model]…I
According to Johnathan “Slim”
Turks and Caicos.”
realized I could go somewhere with it,”
Roberts, an alumnus of N.C. State and
said Bates.
the President of Cherry Dot Dork, the
Rhodes, who was inspired by
The Models It was at Charlotte Fashion Week, that No fashion show is complete without
models, and at the 16th annual AATS Fashion Expose, there was no shortage of long-legged talent. Standing six foot three inches tall, 22-year-old Yahrock Bates was just one of the more than 50 models who graced the stage. A senior majoring in Recreation & Administration at North Carolina Central University (NCCU), Bates has modeled in BET’S Annual Fashion Show, Rip the Runway, as well as made appearances on Season 10 of Project Runway. A native of Summerville, S.C., Bates was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. He gained his first modeling experience after
Bates made a networking connection
Fashion Expose was instrumental to the success of this year show. “It feels amazing to finally imagine
goal is for Cherry Dot Dork to “become
going to sleep tonight and not having
a recognizable brand nationwide…and
to worry about what to do for the next
ultimately to open our own store.”
three months,” said Redfearn. “The show
that would help shape his future. “I met Iris Olivia, [a model from Raleigh,
Lisa Redfearn, a senior in Fashion
Many students have been seen
N.C. who had previously participated
sporting Cherry Dot Dork t-shirts
in BET’S Rip the Runway] and she
and hats around campus and the
went well, everyone enjoyed themselves, and that’s the biggest thing, just making sure everyone had a good time, I’m really proud.”
helped me get to the casting for Rip the Runway,” said Bates. He walked in both the 2012 and 2013 Rip the Runway shows. While he has walked in large scale shows, it is important to Bates that he stays grounded, which is why he continues to participate in local shows like the AATS Fashion Expose. “I always help out people I know,” said Bates “You’ve got to be willing to be patient, and you’ve got to be willing to do some things for free.” Bates, who prepared for Monday’s show by doing 600 pushups, realizes that a career in the modeling industry can be short-lived, which is just one of the reasons he is still pursuing his degree. “I’m not going to look like this forever,”
Yahrock Bates, a student from NCCU, who walked in BET’s Rip the Runway | Kelly Darden