Style Takes Center Stage

The runway at Bixhorn Technical Center came alive as students in Amelia Berry’s Fashion, Merchandising, and Design program showcased their original creations during a fashion show. Family and friends gathered to celebrate the hard work, creativity, and technical skills students developed throughout the year.

Unlike previous years, this year’s event was entirely student-driven. “Previously we collaborated with the Fran Cook hair show where we were the intermission entertainment,” said Berry. “This year’s event was meaningful because the event was all our own, from invitations, to decorations, to the production.”

Hosting the show on campus also created opportunities for collaboration across multiple programs. Students from Television, Video and Digital Film Production; Digital Photography and Related Media; and Commercial Design and Visual Communications all played a role in bringing the event to life.

Each garment represented the culmination of months of work and skill-building. Students applied techniques such as market research, concept development, pattern-making, industrial sewing machine operation, garment construction, and inserting invisible zippers. They also learned a new technique this year: draping with muslin.

“Fashion is a lot harder than most people assume,” Berry said. “Many students question the workload and get discouraged, but like the saying goes, ‘Anything worth having is worth working for.’ Seeing the students beam with pride knowing that they built the garment people are admiring from an idea is amazing to watch.”

The event was also documented by students in Elizabeth Grafer’s Digital Photography and Related Media program, who captured the energy and creativity of the runway show through their images. Special credit goes to Julia Cruz, Aish Porter, and Diego Ramirez for providing outstanding photographs that highlighted the students’ designs and memorable moments from the event.