Project Runway alum Korto Momolu to visit Nov. 7

Skidmore's Dialogues and Issues on Intercultural and Global Understanding is sponsoring a special public event in November.

On Saturday, Nov. 7, Korto Momolu, a "Project Runway" alum, will present "My Story as an African Immigrant Woman" at 6 p.m. in Gannett Auditorium, Palamountain Hall. Admission is free.

As civil war broke out in Liberia in 1990, Korto Momolu's family decided to leave the African homeland and head West. First arriving in Canada, Momolu quickly made a name for herself as a designer in Ottawa. She blended both traditional and new styles in her designs, integrating the themes of her birth country while updating them to a unique, contemporary feel. She eventually moved to Arkansas to continue her dream of creating her own fashion line, and found rave reviews by winning the fan favorite award on "Project Runway's" Season 5.

In her lecture, Momolu will discuss her family's immigration, the impact it had on her life and clothing, and how she continues to be a role model for many people (including African American women). Momolu's clothing designs are a rich metaphor for how many cultures attempt to blend the traditional while looking to the future to provide a better life.

Following her lecture, at 8 p.m. in the Spa, Case Center, Momolu will host a show titled "Experience Africa."  The event, organized by Skidmore's African students, will feature a fashion show, music, dance and poems from the continent and aims to address negative stereotypes in a nonconventional manner. The community will be involved on two levels in preparation (not just fashion but also music, dance, poetry, etc.) and by watching one way to address stereotypes in  nonconfrontational manner.

Read more about Korto Momolu.