The Kimmel Center for University Life was a center of fashion, entertainment and the celebration of Asian-American culture this past Saturday, April 6.

The Asian Cultural Union held their 30th annual fashion and benefit gala, Asian Cultural Expressions. Titled “NOVA,” this year’s event was hosted by ACU presidents April Yau and

Calvin Lin and featured runway presentations showcasing the collections of several local clothing stores, including Superdry, Purdy Girl, AuH2O and others.

Student models featured on the runway acted out cheeky scenes while showing off the clothing, like flirting and bickering with each other at the beach, and the musicians and dancers brought an extra dimension of talent to the stage.

Aside from presenting their lines, many designers gave coupons to showgoers or NYU student discounts to their shops, like Baci. The show also included musical performances from singer Phil Good and the Neil “Dradle” Schwartz dance team.

The show also featured student talent, like the clothing line NJPaganelli by CAS sophomore Nicholas Paganelli.

Audience members said they were impressed by the coordination of the large event.

“It’s really interesting and entertaining. It’s nice to see students putting on such a production,” CAS freshman Sophie Rosenmoss said.

Max Gode, also a CAS freshman, was pleased with the involvement of local New York City businesses.

“It’s really cool to see a lot of local stores and designers up there,” Gode said.
ACE30 entertained and raised money for a good cause, serving as a testament to the impressive range of talent and industriousness held by the NYU community.

Ariana DiValentino is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].