Valley Stream's Central Memorial PTSA Fashion Show wows with vintage flair

It was a through-the-decades fashion show fundraising extravaganza at the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1790 on April 12. Hosted by the Central Memorial Parent-Teacher-Student Association, the student-led runway showcase saw a big turnout this year.

The fundraiser, organized by Delia Torres-Crespo, President of the Central Memorial PTSA and chairperson for the fashion show, is not merely a glamorous affair but a key revenue source for scholarship funds for graduating seniors at Central High School and incoming 9th graders from Memorial Junior High School.

Through the Post’s steadfast backing of local PTSA initiatives, it once again played host to a large crowd of attendees on a sold-out show. Some guests, noted Crespo, were lining up at the door to purchase tickets. The show itself was four hours long, and aside from the main event, featured performances by Central High School dancers and an 8th-grade singer from Memorial.

“This year, one of our Central seniors came up with a decade’s dance and it led to a decade’s fashion category which included retro music to go with period clothing,” said Crespo. “The décor followed suit with centerpieces created by active community member, Alexis Reyes, that embodied the various decades.”

From elegant, luminous gowns to vintage ripped jeans and tank tops, the stylish range of fabulous pieces kept audience heads turning.

“The experience was absolutely amazing,” said Central senior Julio Rivera, one of fourteen student models who strutted his stuff. “I’ve never gone on a model walk before. I loved the three separate outfits I got to wear.”

Rivera’s modeling wardrobe consisted of three individual themes. For the “express yourself” theme, Rivera’s outfit harkened to his Salvadorean roots, going with a casual fit complete with a leather coat, black jeans, and a Latin floral shirt. His 1920s-inspired attire tried to capture the “old modern” tone of the era with a trench coat and umbrella, tie suit, and flat cab driver cap. His favorite outfit of the night was from the formal wear theme.

“I had this nice pristine red tuxedo,” said Rivera. “It was the color of burgundy, and it had this nice, curvy design on it and it was a bit reflective of the light which I also loved.”

“I knew this was senior year, so I had to just live it up at the show and savor the moment,” added Rivera. The fashion show couldn’t have been done without Murlee’s Men’s and Boy’s Wear in Lynbrook, noted Crespo.

“Is the fashion show committee exhausted after months of hard work? Yes! However, the committee is looking forward to next year’s show and is already planning the Class of 2025 theme,” she said.