Strutting into Success: The Inspiring Story of Thomas Lewis Jr.

Written by Olivia Moore, Blue Valley North High School Junior
Initially published in “P.O.V. Publish Our Voices,” a student-run magazine showcasing the perspectives of young writers.

In December 2023, a fashion show took place at Southeast High School in the KCPS school district which ultimately evolved into a school spectacle. Thomas Lewis Jr., a current senior at Southeast High School, organized the highly successful fashion show, which served as a fundraiser for the Kwanzaa festivities that were being held by the AC Prep (African-Centered Preparatory) Program that winter. A meeting was held in the fall where AC Prep students and teachers gathered to discuss how they could raise money for the festivities. As a council member, Lewis suggested running a fashion show, even offering to organize and curate the entire thing.

“Much to my delight, our AC Prep coordinator, Yaminah Muhammad, obliged to my offer. From there, I made flyers for model auditions and auditioned the models myself with the help of Ms. Muhammad,” Lewis said.

After hashing out the details of the fashion show with Ms. Muhammad and the other members of AC Prep, Lewis got to work building the set and curating the model’s outfits.

“I designed the runway myself. We made a LED runway, we bought and built letters for the words “slay” and “werk” to put on the sides of the runway, and we also made signs for the audience that said “they ate” and gave it to them upon entrance,” Lewis said.

The models who were partaking in the fashion show were given the option to wear their own outfits, which allowed them to display their creative and unique styles in front of a larger audience. For the models who did not have an outfit, curated outfits were purchased with previous AC Prep fundraiser money. In addition to the models, many other members of the Southeast student body were involved in the making of the fashion show.

“A lot of students actually gained a great amount of community service for helping set up the runway and selling concessions,” Lewis said.

According to Lewis, the fashion show connected students through their shared passion for creative expression and created a sense of community in their school, which was one of the many benefits provided by the fashion show.

“After our first fashion show, there was a huge crowd of people asking if there was going to be another one. I even made a poll to see if people actually wanted another fashion show, and 100% said “yes.” It’s definitely a spectacle that everyone is looking forward to,” Lewis said. 

Lewis was inspired to create the fashion show at his school due to his love for fashion and admiration for Rihanna and everything that she has done for the fashion world, such as her show Pose on FX, as well as her Savage X Fenty shows. Furthermore, Lewis aspires to go into the fashion industry in the future. 

“I want to be a model or a creative director, and experiencing the process of making and participating in the fashion show set the foundation for what I’ll most likely be doing in the future,” Lewis said. 

Although creating and organizing the fashion show was a crucial part of Lewis’ life-changing experience, ultimately, his favorite part was modeling on the runway. 

“I loved the feeling it gave me. It made me feel empowered and in control of myself. I also enjoyed the love and support I received while on the runway. I was told that the crowd was so loud that you could hear them on the second floor, and it was only half of the school [in there]. Till this day, I imagine what it would have sounded like if the entire school was in the gym,” Lewis said.

Additionally, Lewis enjoyed seeing his fellow models receive support from the audience during the fashion show.

“Witnessing them receive their much-deserved respect and admiration from the crowd was really a ‘prophecy fulfilled’ moment for me,” Lewis said.

You never know what your ideas can contribute if you just speak your mind. Never be afraid to give your ideas to the world.

However, the fashion show was not without its obstacles. Lewis was faced with a plethora of challenges while making the fashion show.

“There were a few people talking bad about our models, causing some of them to quit, there were people sabotaging our decorations, and there were people trying to steal our outfits and concessions,” Lewis said.

Although these challenges caused adversity for Lewis and the other models, Lewis remained solution-oriented and came out of the challenging experience familiar with several life skills.

“Communication, problem-solving, and networking were definitely the main skills I was taught running the fashion show,” Lewis said.

However, the primary reward that the fashion show bestowed upon Lewis was a new-found confidence in himself and his ideas.

“If there is anything that you want to bring to the table, good or bad, big or small, bring it. You never know what your ideas can contribute if you just speak your mind. Never be afraid to give your ideas to the world,” Lewis said.