Here at the Stark County Minority Business Association, we put value into supporting our community and fostering partnerships with community leaders. One of these partnerships is with the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Enshrinement Festival.

The Canton Repository recently featured our Programs Director, Lydia Lee in an article detailing memories of the event. Look below to read what Lydia had to say about the Fashion Show! Thank you, Canton Repository for featuring our staff!

Lydia Lee: Fashion Show ‘sparks my memories of growing up in a family that appreciated fine fashion.’

I once aspired to become a fashion designer, so I am naturally drawn to the Hall of Fame Fashion Show.

I love seeing the ladies and gentlemen dressed up in fancy clothing, and the atmosphere of excitement for this spectacular event that blends people in the community with the wives of the enshrinees. The wives and models take the runaway with flare and flavor, step to the rhythm of the music, and shine in the lights.

I served as a hostess for this event for many years and eventually joined in as a guest so that I could also wear my finest like the ladies in the crowd.

The HOF Fashion Show sparks my memories of growing up in a family that appreciated fine fashion. My mother, (Regina Bess) was a sharp dresser and my dad (Carl Bess) had tailored suits. They made sure that my two sisters (Carole and Marguerite) and I wore nice clothing.

Sometimes, they were made by a seamstress, purchased at Stern & Mann, Parisian or Rapports in downtown Canton.

I love fashion, shopping, and putting outfits together and I love how fashion can help to build self-esteem and make you feel beautiful on the runway of life.

In 2009, Betty Smith was chairwoman of the Fashion Show committee and emceed the Top Model Competition. My sister, Marguerite, was a finalist in this competition and had the opportunity to walk the runway at the HOF Fashion Show Luncheon. This was significant to our family and the Canton community because it showed that diversity was being embraced in the boardroom and on the runway.

I continue to enjoy the festivities of the Hall of Fame, but I especially enjoy the HOF Fashion Show.

Lydia Lee is program director at the Stark County Minority Business Association and board chair for ABCD Inc. She grew up in Canton, graduated from Timken Vocational High School and has a bachelor’s degree in business from Malone University. She has been married to Terry Lee for 45 years, and they have three sons, Terry Jr., Korry, and Karl, and six grandchildren.