Project Runway Comes to MFAH: College Designers Get a Taste of the Big Time With a Fierce Show

What: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston’s Fashion Fusion

Where: The Law Building at MFAH

PC Moment: Celebrating the beauty and allure of Oscar de la Renta, Houston Community College profs and Houston’s most chic trendsetters gathered to witness a runway show with designs from current HCC students and alums working in the fashion world in Houston. The evening was an homage to the de la Renta blockbuster recently on view at the MFAH; models sauntered down the runway wearing gorgeous designs inspired by The Glamour and Romance of Oscar de la Renta” exhibition.

Each design was judged on construction, creativity, and “wow” factor, not to mention the all important “stage presence.” The panel of judges included Tootsies’ Fady Armanious; Sameera Faridi, creative director at Sameera Faridi Design Studio and designer at Poshak Fashion & Style; and PaperCity‘s arts editor Catherine D. Anspon.

The much-heralded winners breathed a sigh of relief when they heard their names announced: Jing Cao, Inge Duran, Shanda Phillips, and Ebonie Sophus, who received the Audience Choice Award for her bold crimson ruffled gown, cleverly named “Oscar de la Ruffles.” These winners, who are all current HCC students, were awarded with one studio and one art history course from the museum’s Glassell School of Art. Additionally, top honors among the alumni group went to Erica Medrano, David Valdez, Teresa Rangel and Maria Hammond who all received fabric and sewing supplies from Martinez-Arpin Foundation.

Each winning designer took home a swell swag bag whose contents included a Tootsies gift card, two tickets to the current “Peacock in the Desert: The Royal Art of Jodhpur, India” exhibit, two tickets to an upcoming MFAH Mixed Media party, and more, including certificates to hotspots like Tease Color, Style Bar, Azur West, and Lucille’s, as well as an Oscar de la Renta floral tote.

Who: Welcoming guests was Dr. Caroline Goeser, chair of the MFAH’s Department of Learning and Interpretation, and Suzette Brimmer, chair of Consumer Arts and Sciences at HCC; Vi Hua and Andrea Bonner of HCC’s Design and Merchandising Program (Bonner was not able to attend); Nicholas Champroux, a HCC Design and Merchandising professor who mentored the Fashion Fusion contestants; and discerning fashion disciples including the MFAH’s Chris Goins and HCC’s Alex Chapman as emcees; Angela Parrish; Marc Nguyen; Tatiana Massey; benefactor Alex Martinez; gallerist Barbara Davis with upcoming designer William Baldwin (an HCC graduate); handbag designer Debra Linse; and the show’s creative director and producer Tamara Klosz Bonar.