Each year, the Pima Community College fashion design department spotlights student-created outfits by hosting a runway show.
This provides an opportunity for beginning-level to more advanced students to present pieces they have been working on for a semester or longer.
This year, the fashion show is Friday, May 19, at the Leo Rich Theater in the Tucson Convention Center.
It will also be livestreamed for audiences who are unable to attend.
VIP tickets are available in a limited number and include a reception with light bites, a swag bag with items from sponsors, early access to the silent auction and photo booth and seating in the first two rows.
This year’s fashion show is themed “A New Aesthetic, Presenting a Wardrobe that is Anything but Subtle.”
Show director Savannah Franco said this year’s runway show allows the designers to highlight what makes them distinctive.
“We wanted to showcase every student’s personality that they showcase within their garments,” Franco said.
“Everyone’s style is different, and I think with today’s fashion industry, you don’t really need to necessarily be on trend. Anyone’s garment or wardrobe can be anything they want. That’s what we want to try to focus on. Some people’s style is more eclectic and more flashy than other people’s. There will be a nice variety on the runway.”
Franco, who is also the social media specialist and lab assistant for the fashion department, started out as a student at Pima. She has had designs in the fashion show and has watched the event expand and evolve.
“My very first show was on campus. It was when they used to have it within the theater department, at the Proscenium (Theatre) on West Campus,” Franco said.
“Because the show just kept gaining interest, and people started seeing there is this fashion show that happens at Pima, it moved to the Fox (Tucson Theatre) and started getting bigger and bigger…Being in the show, just putting in one or two garments, and seeing it progress is really cool.
“Just seeing it progress over the years and continue to grow and grow has been a cool thing to see, especially for students within the program. It gives them a chance to really participate in a real fashion show of a great magnitude.”
This year, the estate of Janis Joplin donated fabric from the “Made for Pearl” collection, which was created by her niece, Malyn Joplin Dahlin, in honor of the music icon.
Pima students worked with fabric from this collection, including velvet and ’70s-inspired prints.
For the fifth year, the fashion department has partnered with Goodwill of Southern Arizona for an upcycle design project, through which students had the chance to create sustainable designs.
Students also used the Tukatech digital pattern-making program in creating looks for the runway.
Franco said it can be meaningful to see original designs once they have been printed onto fabric.
“It’s super exciting to see the fruition from just a design in your head, to being on the computer, to being a garment on the runway,” Franco said.
Franco said sustainability has increasingly become more of a focus in the fashion industry. Using donated fabric from the Janis Joplin estate and creating patterns using digital software allows the school to engage in ecologically friendly practices.
Recently, digital programs have become more prominent within the department. This is part of an effort to expose students to technologies they will see working in the fashion industry.
The fashion show is a fundraiser for the department, which helps them to be able to purchase digital products and make further updates to the lab.
Students in the program also get exposed to different careers within the fashion industry. Franco said there are different routes that students can take after they graduate.
“You could be a pattern maker. You could be a designer. You could be alterations. You could be a textile designer. You could be a stylist. You could work in retail in merchandising. There are different avenues. It’s not just about being a designer and having a brand. There’s a lot of different jobs and aspects that go into a brand,” Franco said.
During the fashion show, around 45 students will be presenting anywhere from one look to as many as five or six.
Some students have taken part in the show multiple times. Franco said it can be exciting to see the growth in these students over their time at Pima.
“You can see their skills set is evolving. They are venturing and trying to figure out what is my style? What do I want to create and how can I evolve that?” Franco said.
The garments featured in the show are mainly produced within fashion design classes.
“It can be from beginning sewing classes, where they are learning to make pajamas, skirts and shirts, all the way up to advanced, where it could be much more tailored garments, more difficult fabrics. We even have a bridal gown in the show this year. So, most of the garments come from projects they submit in class, learning techniques to perfect their sewing skills,” Franco said.
Students within the program are also allowed to showcase designs they worked on at home.
Franco said there will be a variety of different styles, including ready-to-wear, evening wear and street wear fashions.
The show attracts students who have a goal of working in the industry as well as those who are pursuing fashion design as a hobby.
Along with students, two alumni will present collections. Franco will bring looks from her Zabana Clothing brand, and faculty member Lisa Olson will present designs from her Lisa Christine brand.
Franco sells her designs at markets around town.
Her brand tends to feature ready-to-wear designs inspired by space and aliens. She said her clothing is meant for the “young at heart.”
“I always feel like no matter what your age is, fashion should be fun. It should be your personality. It should just showcase you,” Franco said.
During the fashion show, designs will be modeled by students, professionals, friends and family members of designers and the designers themselves.
The fashion show has a following in Tucson.
In 2019, it drew a sold-out crowd and raised around $30,000.
In 2022, the show returned with an intimate in-person audience of around 50 people and a livestream that drew over 1,200 viewers.
This year will be the first big show back with a full audience since 2019.
Franco said the event allows people in Tucson a chance to experience a runway fashion show while supporting local students.
“There’s an interest in fashion within the community. The fact that they show up in support and come to the shows is really great. Our little program is small but mighty,” Franco said.
PCC Fashion Design Department’s Fashion Show: A New Aesthetic
WHEN: 6 p.m. VIP reception. 7 p.m. general admission doors open. 7:30 p.m. fashion show begins. Friday, May 19
WHERE: Leo Rich Theater, Tucson Convention Center, 260 S. Church Avenue, Tucson
cost: $25 general admission, $60 VIP admission
