As a busy year comes to a close for Kolorhouse, San Diego State’s creative chapter held “KolorFest,” an event three years in the making, with the goal of uniting SDSU creatives for a night filled with fashion, music and friends.
For those unfamiliar, Kolorhouse formed in 2019 as a brand, later branching out to a chapter with the goal of illuminating SDSU’s creative scene. A Daily Aztec article published last October outlines Kolorhouse’s creative vision and the start of their SDSU club.
The four-hour event located in the Aztec Student Union held live music performances, a photo booth, free food, three-runway shows and multiple vendors to shop.
The event started with multiple performances by talented local artists. Haddie the Baddie, Gone, Nantai Kartier, and Tristen Zett took to the stage to perform their dynamic sets, hyping up attendees and setting the energy for the rest of the evening.
Attendees browsed the numerous vendors, which showcased local small businesses ranging from secondhand clothes to custom made jewelry. Andy’s paints, Cannaclub, Coyote Ugly Clothing, and Ethereal Cosmetics are a few of the vendors that sold items at the event.
Tables at the Student Union also had smaller activities for people to participate in, like a beading and “positivity” table.
Nora Wilcox, a freshman biology major and member of the Kolorhouse events department, created the beading table to provide some nostalgia to participants, with the underlying message of “creating without judgment.”
“I was so happy to see people engage with the positivity table, taking/giving notes to others to make them smile. Something so simple can really change a stranger’s day,” Wilcox said.
Kolorhouse teamed up with Fashion Fiends SDSU to put on an amazing fashion show, starting at 6 p.m. with the heavily anticipated streetwear show. Students filled the chairs lining the runway wanting a good view of the models. The models walked the runway showcasing a variety of unique, trendy, and casual looks.
Nico Yeager, a model and participant in the streetwear fashion show, said his modeling career started when TikTok became popular back in 2018-2019. As his platform began to grow, Yeager said he was able to connect to other creatives and brand owners. Now, Yeager uses his following to inspire others to join the creative community.
“My experience at KolorFest was honestly exactly how I wanted it to go. The environment was perfect! And the people I met were all super nice and supportive of each other,” Yeager said.
Creative opportunities came out of the event for Yeager as well – through the event he met Nantai Kartier, who he later met up with to shoot a music video.
At 6:25 p.m., a new set of models hit the runway for the colors fashion show. Models showcased their most colorful outfits as the audience applauded in awe and took photos of the jaw-dropping outfits.
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Blank Space, a local indie rock band, hit the stage to play music for the punk fashion show. Matching the rock aesthetic of the music filling the Student Union, models walked the runway and showed off their alternative punk apparel.
As the fashion show came to an end, people crowded the stage to listen to Blank Space finish their set. It was a great way to end the evening as everyone joined in dancing and enjoying the live music, taking pictures, and socializing.
Charlie Seith, owner and founder of Kolorhouse, explained how it felt finally seeing his creative vision for KolorFest come to life. He stressed the importance of the event for the local creative community, to inspire others and make connections.
“Honestly, it still doesn’t feel real. There’s no words to describe seeing something you’ve envisioned for three years now come to life. Everything this year went so fast– from starting the club last September to KolorFest, it was like a big celebration not just for the event, but for the club in general,” Seith said. “To see it come to life was the chance for me to sit back and see what we created in just this school year alone. It’s magical. I feel like what KolorFest has done is inspire many students to go out and show off their creativity in their own way.”
This event is just one of many more for Kolorhouse, as the club anticipates having several creative events in the future.
If you’re interested in joining Kolorhouse, or want to stay updated on future events, you can follow their Instagram or visit their website.
