At its worst, fashion is impractical and absurd, a visible testament to the excesses of someone with too little taste and too much access to fabric and thread.

At its best, fashion is fabulous fantasy, a marvelous manifestation of what one would if one could -- regardless of whether one should.

It is the latter that has become the stock in trade of the Ebony Fashion Fair. The world's largest traveling fashion show swept through Pittsburgh Tuesday in the midst of its 150-city-plus international tour, delighting the nearly 800 people who filled the Byham Theater to experience it.

Over the past 50 years, the event has entertained millions and raised many millions more for local charities. And it has been a boon to black models, black self-image and designers of every ethnicity.

Eunice W. Johnson, wife of Ebony magazine founder and media mogul John H. Johnson, nurtured the event from infancy to its boomer years. The Selma, Ala.-born daughter of a physician and educator, she was determined to give black designers and models a platform to shine.

And she wanted ordinary people everywhere to be able to see couture and ready-to-wear clothes that they otherwise might never behold. She visits showrooms and couture houses around the world, occasionally commissioning looks strictly for the show. Along the way, she has become the owner of perhaps the world's largest collection of couture fashion.

Although it probably wasn't the intent of organizers, there's a lot the fashion industry can learn from the Ebony Fashion Fair.

Take the models, for instance.

A fashion runway show is about theater and drama, creating a buzz and creating a desire within spectators for the clothes they see. And while the apparel is central, other factors can make a world of difference.

Generally, designers are capable in the areas of provocative sets, loud music and interesting clothes. But their models fail to make the clothes come alive because they as a group lack personality and charisma. So what buyers, retailers, editors and other spectators see are boring, assembly-line waifs who are as nondescript as clothes hangers and, increasingly, cannot walk in high heels with grace and poise.

The Ebony Fashion Fair is the antithesis. The models' moves are rehearsed and choreographed with military precision, yet fluid and seemingly effortless rather than forced and mechanical. Even in five-inch heels, the women smile, spin and slide without breaking their stride.

They know the power of a gesture, a glance, a reveal. They are one with what they are wearing, from extravagant Issey Miyake gowns and swingy Gilles Montezin coats to giant Kokin hats and towering Miu Miu platform pumps.

Fun is the rule, not the exception. The models experience and inspire it, but never at the expense of the designers or the clothes. That's a fine line to walk, but they make it look easy.

The 11 women and two men chosen each year hail from across America. Auditions are open, and female prospects must be size 6 or 8 and at least 5 feet, 10 inches tall. The plus-size model is required to be size 16 or 18. Regardless of size, they are unfailingly toned, fit, shapely and healthy.

A variety of skin tones and hair styles is celebrated. Conventional wisdom might call the diversity a distraction, but the seamlessness of the production and the skill level of the models make the diversity an attention-keeper.

The modeling is just part of a production that is staged down to the tiniest detail. That's not to say that the show is honed to a clinical perfection, but that it is so polished that cringe factors are nonexistent.

A stage better suits the production than a runway, allowing more room to execute the spins, swirls, twirls and dance moves that enhance the show.

Models never appear alone. They always interact with one or more others, with acting, comedic and even singing skills being employed effectively.

A surprising number of outfit changes are lightning-quick, and every entrance and exit is silky smooth.

Door-prize drawings and sponsor commercials feel like scenes from the show because they feature the same chic fashions and choreographed moves.

When all is said and done, the Ebony Fashion Fair is a rarity also because it's a G-rated family show. There are no offensive music lyrics, no sleazy outfits. The swimsuit scene is restrained without being dull or prudish.

And there's one more thing that separates the Ebony Fashion Fair from the rest of the pack. Its commentator, former model Jada Collins, is an ordained minister.