ABOUT
The Fashion and Textile Technology department at Buffalo State University and Buffalo Art Movement (BAM!) cordially invites you to attend our highly anticipated annual event, RUNWAY. This year's theme, "Provoking Protopias," aims to promote a more sustainable and equitable future for the fashion industry amidst a global environmental crisis. Join us on April 22nd at 8 pm to witness the innovative creations of our talented student designers.
Doors will open at 6 pm, and we encourage all guests to dress to impress for our street-style photo booth, presented by our media sponsor, Buffalo Magazine. You will also have the opportunity to browse and shop at our Thrift 2 Fight Pop-up and RUNWAY boutique and network with fellow fashion enthusiasts, designers, and industry professionals.
We are proud to continue our partnership with Thrift 2 Fight, an organization that mobilizes fashion by funding racial justice work, climate activism, and queer liberation through its dynamic thrifting movement. Please support our Thrift 2 Fight X RUNWAY retail Pop-up, where all proceeds from the thrift sales will be donated to Feed Buffalo, the Confident Girl Mentoring Program, and the Grassroots Gardens of WNY. T2F tickets will be available for purchase at the door for $5 (cash and credit cards accepted). We encourage guests to bring a reusable bag.
For those who wish to donate new or gently used clothing and accessories, please get in touch with our RUNWAY team at bscrunway@gmail.com.
We extend our sincere gratitude to our 2023 sponsors: Buffalo Art Movement, Buffalo Magazine, Yeah Spicy, Tribe Up North, Creative Connect, Go Buffalo Niagara, Renew Bath and Body, In-Room Plus, Rachel's Mediterranean Grill, Legacy House, M&T Bank, The Franklin Crocker Show, Franco's Pizza WNY, and Put a Plant On It.
We look forward to your presence at RUNWAY 2023.
MISSION
The Runway fashion show serves our campus to communicate a diverse and inclusive culture, one that creates a safe environment for our students to showcase their talent and vision. Runway offers an applied learning experience that prepares students for careers in the fashion industry. This impressive show gives our students the platform for civic engagement and allows them to showcase social responsibility throughout the campus and Buffalo community.
Runway serves as a cross-campus collaboration with the Art & Design Department, Africana Studies Program and Theatre Department at Buffalo State. Runway also brings awareness to racial, social, ethical and environmental issues that are on the forefront of our global economy.
HISTORY
The Fashion and Textile Technology department at Buffalo State College is one of the fastest-growing majors on campus. Its annual Runway fashion show was the brainchild of Erin Habes '03, a graduate of the FTT program who later spent several years of high-profile activity in New York City’s fashion industry. Habes was asked to return as an adjunct faculty member in 2007, and was determined to integrate her fashion business experience into her classroom, while continuing to raise awareness of the program in the community. Within her first year, she was given the challenge of producing an annual department senior fashion show. In order to elevate the in-house campus production to a higher level, Habes booked the world-renowned Albright-Knox Art Gallery as its venue. In light of the success of this inaugural event, she is now the proud faculty director of Runway.
The overwhelming success of that first show spurred collaboration between the Burchfield Penney Art Center and the FTT program to create Runway 2.0. This partnership further connected the worlds of fashion and art.
Runway 3.0, 4.0 and 5.0 found its home in the 20,000-square foot historic Pierce Arrow Building. After three years of utilizing this striking industrial space, Runway 6.0 returned back to campus and was held in the newly remodeled Student Union. In 2017 we celebrated our 10th anniversary with a special showcase in the Buffalo State Sports Arena.