On Sunday, the grassy grounds of Switchyard Park looked like they might on any other day: babies in strollers, running toddlers and people on benches.
However, inside the park’s 11,000-square-foot pavilion, IU’s chapter of Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity —PhiDE for short — prepared for their Anatomy Fashion Show, a PhiDE fundraising event that gives all proceeds to the Children’s Miracle Hospital Network.
PhiDE put on the show from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Switchyard Pavilion. The Anatomy Fashion Show is trademarked by the national chapter of PhiDE and showcases artists’ renderings of human body systems on models’ clothing and bodies. Tickets for the event cost $15.
Each chapter donates the funds raised. IU’s PhiDE is giving their proceeds to Riley Children’s Hospital in Indianapolis.
Though the event has been put on by PhiDE chapters at other schools, this was the first time that IU’s chapter had put on the fashion show, chapter member and senior Baleigh Montgomery said, who volunteered as an artist for the event.
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The back hallway of the Switchyard Pavilion where Montgomery painted models before the show resembled a game of Twister: artists crawling over others to reach for paint, models laying still on the ground for minutes on end and a few people daring to stand up and tip-toe over everyone.
Regardless of the small space and loud noises, Montgomery focused on the task at hand: painting various body systems on the skin of models.
“I really like art,” Montgomery said. “I don’t really get a lot of options to paint, so this seemed like a good opportunity to showcase some of my talent.”
Ian Boleman, PhiDE member and IU junior, was one of the volunteer models Montgomery painted. Boleman, covered from shoulders to toes in red and black paint, represented the muscular system of the body.
“I really want to see the end product of this,” Boleman said, referring to the paint job in the moment. “I’ve not yet looked into a mirror.”
IU junior Lexi Gardner and IU sophomore Lillian Frazer are also members of PhiDE and volunteered for the fashion show. Gardner and Frazer, who were serving as a model and an artist, respectively, were in the midst of applying a bald cap to Gardner’s head about 90 minutes before the show started.
Gardner and Frazer both erupted into laughter and Frazer agreed securing the bald cap and learning how to work with latex paint were her biggest challenges for the day.
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Even with some nerves, Gardner looked forward to the final product.
“I’m just excited to see what everyone looks like,” Gardner said. “I’m really hoping to take a group photo with all the models repping whatever we’re repping.”
The show was full of educational tidbits about a variety of body systems — including muscular, endocrine, nervous and more — that were depicted with artistic renderings painted on the models’ bodies.
The models, rolling onto the runway in nude spandex and plastered in a variety of paint colors, strutted to a variety of songs, artists and genres in front of a medium-sized audience with few empty seats.
Songs like “Silly Love Songs” by Wings and “Bad Blood” by Taylor Swift soundtracked the models representing the circulatory system, while “brutal” by Olivia Rodrigo played as the models for the endocrine system walked down the runway.
The garage-style windows of the venue were open, allowing a breeze to flow through. As walkers-by glanced inside, IU students strutted their stuff — surrounded by a bounty of lavender and black balloons — all for a good cause.
