Alpha Kappa Alpha means business. Local business owners exhibited their companies at Eta Kappa chapter’s first AKAnomics Meets Style: A Black Entrepreneur Showcase on Saturday night in the Union. About 300 students dressed in business attire filled the Cotillion Ballroom and visited booths displaying brochures and free samples from companies including Color Me Beautiful, House of Couture and Mo Hair. Raimy Living, assistant secretary of AKA’s Eta Kappa chapter, assisted in the event’s organization. The mass communication sophomore said the showcase gave students a chance to solicit information from prosperous black-owned businesses in the Baton Rouge area. “We want to let people know if they want to be a successful entrepreneur in the community in this society you can do it,” Living said. Carlton Morton, House of Couture CEO, said his company is the only college-based modeling agency. The Southern University mass communication junior said the company gives fashion models a chance to continue their education while pursuing their career. He said the company plans to establish a University chapter this fall. “We’ve gotten a great response from the people who visited our table,” Morton said. Andriel “Muffin” Kirkendoff, textiles, apparel and merchandising sophomore, kicked off the fashion show with her handmade line of hip-hop inspired clothing. The fashion show continued with “Handling Business.” Ten members from seven National Panhellenic Council fraternities and sororities, including the Eta Kappa chapter, showed off their modeling talents in business attire and flashed their fraternity and sorority hand symbols on the runway. Living said Dankenya McDavis, Eta Kappa chapter president, organized the casual “Kreative Khaos” clothing line that followed. The fashion show also featured clothing from Planet Sports on Government Street and formal wear. Andrea Fowler, business management freshman, attended the showcase. She said she enjoyed the fashion show portion of the event the most. “The whole show was great,” she said. AKA gave away several gift certificates from businesses including Burning Sands International, Dez’ La’ Rene Cuisine and Hair Productions by David. They also gave away a $350 gift certificate for a Studio 360 Imaging photo shoot with Scott Hebert. Living said she appreciates the businesses that participated and made the event successful. “The turnout was wonderful,” she said. “The businesses really blended with the crowd.”
—–Contact Angelle Barbazon [email protected]