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- Oaxaca en Utah will host a free fashion show showcasing traditional Latin garb and culture this Sunday in Taylorsville.
- The event, featuring nearly 100 participants, highlights unity and cultural pride amid increased immigration enforcement concerns in Utah.
- Attendees will enjoy performances, Mexican and South American cuisine, and fashion from various Latin American regions, including haute couture by Gustavo Daniel Gramajo.
TAYLORSVILLE — Oaxaca en Utah, a nonprofit organization that aims to promote Mexican culture and foster unity, will host a fashion show of traditional Latin garb on Sunday, Feb. 9.
The fashion show will be a free event, open for all members of the community to enjoy a presentation of Latin culture through fashion and musical performance. This is the third year Oaxaca en Utah has organized the fashion show put on by volunteers from the community. This year's event will include nearly 100 models and behind-the-scenes participants.
"We do it to share the beauty of feeling proud of your culture, of your roots," said Norma Carver, president and founder of Oaxaca en Utah. "We want people that are here in Utah to enjoy the culture because there are many of our members, many of the people in the community that haven't had the opportunity to return to their countries (since moving)."
Oaxaca is a state located in southern Mexico that consists of eight regions: Cañada, Costa, Istmo, Mixteca, Papaloapan, Sierra Norte, Sierra Sur and Valles Centrales. Each region will be represented on the runway by multiple models in their respective regions' Indigenous clothing.
While the hosting organization has a special focus on Oaxaca, members from all over Mexico and Latin America have joined the group and will be participating in Sunday's event.
"We are very diverse and, really, it is very beautiful to have unity," Carver said. "We have been creating unity here in the state of Utah for several years, but this year is even more important because we have focused more on the people from other states that want to be part of the organization, and they help us with their talents and participation. … We have been working very hard all these years to be able to raise the funds to be able to continue the mission of the organization."
In addition to the showcase of traditional Oaxacan fashion, the event will exhibit a display of modern Mexican fashion, a Mayan art-inspired collection representing Mexico's Yucatán region and a display of haute couture by Argentinian designer Gustavo Daniel Gramajo. The final runway will feature handcrafted garments and jewelry created by Mexican artisans, with some outfits costing up to $1,000.
Between each runway presentation, singers, dancers and storytellers will perform for attendees. Guests may also enjoy an array of Mexican and South American food available at the event.
This year's fashion show is being held in a time of uncertainty and fear for many in Utah's immigrant community as authorities place a greater emphasis on immigration enforcement throughout the country. But for Oaxaca en Mexico, this makes the event more important to the community than ever.
"We want to have more civility so that everyone knows that we are united," Carver said. "We want to demonstrate all the beautiful things that we can do for the community so that in these times of stress, of fear, there is a safe place within the organization where they can come and enjoy and not have a true fear that they are going to be arrested or anything."
Oaxaca en Utah's fashion show will be held Sunday from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Yasmin Event Center, 4151 S. Redwood Road in Taylorsville.
