Santa Monica College's Fashion Program will present its annual student fashion show, LA Mode 2026, on Monday, June 8, at 7 p.m. at the John Adams Middle School Performing Arts Center, 1630 Pearl St., Santa Monica.
This year's theme is "Above the Clouds in Style, Substance, and Sustainability." A pre-show runway at 6:45 p.m., billed as "Salvation Army X SMC Chop Shop = Transformed Treasures," will showcase garments repurposed from discarded apparel otherwise destined for landfills.
Tickets are $25, or $20 for college students with valid ID. A "Cloud Carpet" reception begins at 4:30 p.m., featuring sponsor giveaways and networking for SMC alumni, current students, and fashion industry guests.
The show will feature 21 collections spanning casual, cocktail, club, and avant-garde styles, with each reflecting the designer's future aspirations. The event is produced by SMC's Fashion Show Production students under the direction of fashion professors La Tanya Louis, serving as show producer and collections director, and Lorrie Ivas, industry judge director for the SMC Fashion Advisory Board.
The production is a cross-disciplinary collaboration. SMC photography students, under the direction of professors Josh Withers and Ed Mangus, will photograph the show and shoot designers' look book images. Designer interview videos were produced and edited by media and communication students under the direction of Communication and Media Studies Department Chair Redelia Shaw, Professor Gail Fetzer, and Broadcast Tech Manager Thoren Jorgensen. Cosmetology students under the direction of Brandon Ceballos will handle hair and makeup. Photography, media, and communication students will also produce behind-the-scenes content leading up to showtime.
The 21 collections were developed by students from the Los Angeles area, across the United States, and internationally as part of SMC's two-year fashion studies program.
Industry professionals — including designers, stylists, costume designers, and retailers — will judge the collections. Among them are SMC Fashion Advisory Board members and SMC alumni, many of whom now offer internships through their companies. Judges will evaluate collections before the show, with winners announced live in categories including marketability, creativity, sustainability, technical achievement, and outstanding collection.
The show is sponsored by Jeff Abrams, founder of contemporary clothing line Rails. Abrams also funded 20 fashion scholarships. Additional support came from Tukatech, local businesses, Santa Monica community members, and Los Angeles fashion industry supporters.
The evening will also include the presentation of the 10th annual Style and Substance Award, honoring Henry Duarte, a Los Angeles leather artisan and denim, goth, and rock-and-roll designer known for dressing prominent figures in music and entertainment and for mentoring SMC fashion interns.
The SMC Fashion Program, offered through the Photography and Fashion Department chaired by Professor Josh Sanseri, includes associate degrees and certificate programs in both fashion design and fashion merchandising.
More information is available at smc.edu/LaMode or by emailing LaMode@smc.edu. The program can also be followed on Instagram at @SMClamode and on Facebook at SMC LA Mode Fashion Show.
— Edited by SMDP Staff