Fashion students go bold to boundary-pushing on a Fredericton runway

The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design’s annual fashion show returned for its 27th edition Thursday night.

The New Brunswick College of Craft and Design’s (NBCCD) annual fashion show returned for its 27th edition Thursday night, featuring student creations from classic to daring on a Fredericton catwalk.

The fashion show, which features the work of graduating students, has grown to become a flagship event for NBCCD every year, and is now the largest event of its kind in Canada east of Montreal.

Graduating fashion student Jessica Calhoun’s showcase presented bold cuts, bright accessories, and a futuristic flare.

“It’s mind-blowing that my stuff has been on a runway for everyone to see,” said Calhoun, moments after the final runway walk. “It’s a very emotional journey. It’s kind of unreal everything that just happened. I’m very relieved it’s done, it’s very stressful.”

Graduating fashion student Ally McGuirk’s showcase was an homage to her childhood around the time of Y2K.

“Basically, what I grew up playing with and seeing around my house when I was little,” said McGuirk, who complemented her colourful creations with Beanie Babies and doll dresses. “I really started last year thinking about the idea, but we started working in September, working on it, and designing it.”

It was a special night for NBCCD studio head of fashion design Tracy Austin.

“It’s so distinct because we really bring community to things,” said Austin. “We’ve been cultivating a community of grads, of designers, but also of attendees and people who’ve come out to celebrate and really celebrate what local designers have to provide for us.”

This year’s graduating designers included Brennan Roy, Claire Crossman, Dylan Levesque, Favour Abereko, Gurleen Bansal, Sabrina Elizabeth, Sean Sénéchal, and Sophie Brander.

Thursday night’s show also included fashion alumni from the school, and current first-year students who were challenged to create designs by wasting no fabric or materials.

“The only word I can think of is eclectic. There was something for everybody. The most important thing is that these students made everything that walked down that runway,” said Austin.

“They designed it, they drafted it, they problem-solved it, and they styled it tonight with their final models.”

Proceeds from the fashion show help fund two scholarships for current NBCCD fashion students.

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