The time is 9:09 p.m. Around the Seminole Ballroom, 22 different teams across the state rushed toward the main stage to collect their extra-large white T-shirts. Screams of “Hurry!” and “Let’s go” echoed around the room, and with a variety of supplies like fabric, markers, and pom-poms, campers prepared to design their T-shirts in a way that represented their school.
Camp Orlando students competed in the third annual Fashion Show at the Double Tree by Hilton at Universal on July 14.
The competition was the first camp-wide event that students participated in while at Camp Orlando, with the prize of bragging rights on the line.
Teams found different ways to prepare before the camp. With their extra supplies, consisting of shower curtains, fabric, tutus, wings, and flags, teams committed to previously planned themes.
“So we’re gonna paint our faces to look like Bart Simpson, and make our shirts Bart Simpson,” Emily Kushnir, Lawton Chiles Middle School facepainters, said.
Each school and staff group had the opportunity to show their school spirit with the task of decorating their shirts as a team.
“I like it when schools stick to their school spirit, like, what their school means, to represent themselves” Taylor Thomas, a Blackshirt, said.
The teams had 51 minutes to plan the design for the shirt, decorate the shirt itself, and fit their model into the shirt.
One group dressed up as Bart Simpson to represent their school spirit. “We have a chaotic school. So we decided to do Bart Simpson” Adriana, eighth grade Lawton Chiles decorator, said.
At times, unexpected consequences led to misconceptions about the theme of the T-shirts.
“It was supposed to be Bart Simpson, but it kind of looks like they’re a minion,” Adriana, eighth grade Lawton Chiles decorator said.
Once the time ran out, the models, chosen by their peers, strutted down the runway. The audience watched as the models jumped, backflipped, and popped their hips.
“Everything together—confidence, your walk, facial expressions, and mannerisms—is the key to winning,” Thomas said.
The winners aren’t just chosen by the staff, but actually voted on by everyone—meaning the teams competing, the audience, and the staff.
“Everyone got a slip, but you’re not able to vote for your own school,” Thomas said.
Once the slip is given to the judges and reviewed, there will be a decided first, second, and third place winner. The winners will be announced on the final day of the camp, Thursday, July 17, during awards.
