TAMPA, Fla. — This week, 22 aspiring student fashion designers from high schools across Tampa Bay had their chance to show off their finished work in front of hundreds of people. It’s all part of the annual Fashion Design at The Dali program.
For these teens, this was the dream of a lifetime, to put their designs on a real live runway in a real live fashion show at Nieman Marcus.
From strutting to spinning and smiling, and don’t forget the occasion stop and stare, it could be hard to tell who were the students and who were the professional models at The Dali Museum Benefit Teen Fashion Show.
“I was nervous on the inside, but I try not to show it on the runway,” said Chau Huynh of Hollins High School. “I try to keep the resting model face, try to not smile too much.”
The students have been working on these designs since September, receiving mentorship and coaching from industry professionals along the way.
“I have been extremely humbled in this program by seeing so many amazing high school students go from rendering to reality, bridging their ideas from paper all the way to the runway,” said Sumaya Ayad, School Programs Manager for The Dali.
The Fashion Design at The Dali program is completely free.
“The Dali is an extremely community-focused museum,” said Ayad. “We found that there was a lack of fashion design programs in the area where they can really build out these skills, then make connections within this industry, and many of our students do go on to fashion design school.”
Many of the designers modeled their own outfits, while others asked friends to model them for them. Each design was inspired by one of Dali’s works.
“My design was based off the painting from Dali, 'The Ram,'” said Sofia Leth of Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School.
All the materials that went into the outfits came from recycled materials.
“It makes me really happy because I think sustainability is really important right now,” said Ayaa Mouzahem of Osceola Fundamental High School.
These students say an event like this really gives them the confidence to believe it will be their designs for sale in stores one day.
“I made so many new friends; I really enjoyed this,” said Violet Schuele of Osceola Fundamental High School.
All of the money raised at the fashion show goes back toward educational programs at The Dali.
For more information, go to thedali.org/fashionexhibit.
