´şÉ«Ö±˛Ą

A fashion show held in the South Courtyard of MacEwan Hall on Feb. 6 offered more than a runway. Timed for the lunch-hour rush, the event invited passersby at the University of Calgary to pause, watch and engage with a topic that is often difficult to reach: eating disorders and body image. 

Beauty in Diversity was a campus-wide fashion show hosted by (EDAUC) as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The event featured 20 student models and was attended by students, staff and faculty from across the university. 

The show was led by EDAUC co-presidents Lisa Wei and Sarveen Rao, who designed the event to move beyond traditional fashion narratives and instead centre lived experience, identity and self-expression.

“Fashion and appearance are spaces where a lot of pressure exists, especially in university environments,” says Rao. “We wanted to use that visibility to challenge the idea that beauty looks one way, and to open up conversation around eating disorders in a way that felt approachable rather than clinical.”

EDAUC is a student-led organization focused on reducing stigma around eating disorders while promoting education, empathy and access to support. Hosting the fashion show during Eating Disorder Awareness Week, and placing it in a high-traffic space, was intentional.

“Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that affect people of all genders, body sizes and backgrounds, yet they’re often misunderstood or overlooked,” says Wei. “By hosting the event at noon in a central courtyard, we were able to meet people where they already were and introduce a conversation that can otherwise feel hard to start.”

Walks emphasize meaning and personal choice

Throughout the event, models walked the runway in two rounds while short blurbs written by the models themselves were read aloud. The stories reflected cultural heritage, gender expression, recovery, creativity and community. Rather than focusing on appearance alone, each walk emphasized meaning and personal choice.

The event also brought together campus and community partners working in mental health, recovery and inclusion. Booths alongside the runway featured the University of Calgary Recovery Community, the Eating Disorder Support Network of Alberta, Queers on Campus, the Anti-Racism Club, and Jewelry Making Club, while Schulich Soundstage provided live music throughout the show.

Mental health resources were woven throughout the event itself. Attendees were encouraged to connect with peer mentors at the EDAUC booth, pick up informational pamphlets, and learn about external supports such as the (NEDIC), which offers helpline, chat and email services. 

The program also included a talk from Manya Singh, a research co-ordinator with the Calgary Eating Disorder Program, who spoke on behalf of , PhD, a UCalgary professor and long-standing clinician and researcher in eating-disorder care.

Fashion show grand finale of UCalgary Eating Disorders Awareness Week events

The fashion show marked the culmination of a week-long series of Eating Disorder Awareness Week initiatives organized by EDAUC. Throughout the week, the club focused on education, stigma reduction and resource awareness through campus pop-ups featuring eating disorder myth-versus-fact trivia, a collaborative coffee-cart outreach with the , and a bracelet-making event designed to encourage open, supportive conversations. These efforts were reinforced by a coordinated social media campaign sharing evidence-based eating disorder education and resources from NEDIC.

Together, these initiatives reflect EDAUC’s broader, year-long commitment to eating disorder awareness and prevention. Since the fall semester, the club has reached more than 600 students through outreach sessions delivered to elementary and high school classrooms using age-appropriate curriculum on body image and mental health. On campus, EDAUC has also hosted low-barrier “Sip and Chat” events that promote open discussion, collaborated with NEDIC on an educational webinar, developed online learning modules on its website, and offered peer-led support to help students navigate resources and seek care.

“Awareness isn’t just one event,” says Rao. “It’s about consistency, showing up, sharing information, and making sure students know that support exists.”

By centring student voices and placing eating disorder awareness in a visible, public space, Beauty in Diversity aimed to create an impact that extended beyond the runway. “Our hope is that people left feeling seen, but also informed," says Wei. "Eating disorders are not a choice or a phase, and no one should feel alone in navigating them.”

Adds Rao: “If this event helped even one person feel less alone or more confident about reaching out for support, then it did exactly what it was meant to do.”