Approximately 500 people gathered at the George Sherman Union on Saturday for the Impact 2002 fashion show sponsored by Umoja, Boston University’s black student organization.

Students from BU, Boston College, Wellesley College, Suffolk University and Northeastern University modeled a wide range of clothing, from exotic wear to casual clothes and club-wear. Metcalf Hall was packed with parents, students and other Boston-area residents hoping to catch a glimpse of the latest fashions.

Most attendees said the event was a success. Show emcee LBD of Hot 97 told the audience the Impact fashion show was one of the most well-executed fashion shows he has seen in Boston.

“I have done a lot of fashion shows in the Boston area, and this one has got to be the best one,” he said.

Umoja Vice President Tanya St. Julien said the funds raised by the show would be greatly appreciated by the group.

“People in Boston tend to come together for social events; they’re the biggest moneymakers,” said St. Julien, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. “We really need the crowd money; it goes to other events this semester right up until the second semester next year.”

Organization for this year’s show began last August, St. Julien said.

“It was very difficult to put together,” she said. “After we held tryouts in late September, we had rehearsals every weekend for three hours. The week of the show, we had three-hour rehearsals every day.”

Umoja got clothes for the 40 models from a mixture of stores and independent designers.

“We wanted to support local independent African-American designers like Andrea Alexander, Herbie Firman and Andy Jacques, as they are often overlooked by the fashion industry,” St. Julien said. “This is an annual tradition for us — we like to end Black History Month with a bang.”

Abby Berger, a freshman in the College of Communication, said the fashion show was a success and seemed to be a great way for organizations to make money and to increase student involvement.

“I was immediately interested in coming to the fashion show, as I was interested in seeing the newest fashion,” Berger said. “I was surprised at how many people came out, and I think it was a big money -maker.”

Berger said the wide range of clothing kept the audience entertained, as the models were dressed in anything from bathing suits to clothes for everyday wear.

“I liked how the fashion show integrated many types of clothing,” she said. “The crowd was particularly entertained by the change from sparkling cocktail dresses to men and women wearing Patriots jerseys and American flags.”

The finale displayed the concept of peace and unity and a remembrance of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. One student modeled an American flag as a cape, and it was announced he would walk the runway in honor of all the Americans who perished in the attacks.

An after-party was held at the Best Western Hotel on Longwood Avenue and tickets were being given out at the Impact show. DJ Mike, who spun for the fashion show, appeared again at the after-party. Students from all Boston schools were invited to attend, and there were a good number representative of every Boston-area school at the event.

Berger said she would come to next year’s event as well.

“I think that Umoja sponsored an excellent event,” said Berger. “They were very organized and had a good variety of clothing and a large group of models. It was very entertaining and I am going to bring more of my friends next year.”

— Dan Atkinson contributed to this report.