ABOUT
Runway is an annual fashion show presented by the Fashion and Textile Technology Department. Each spring, FTT students produce a professional-level fashion show featuring the talent of our students enrolled in Apparel Design, Textile Design, and the Fashion Show Production class, as well as faculty and alumni. Runway allows Buffalo State students the opportunity to showcase their creativity, demonstrate their talents, learn how to produce a large-scale fashion event while gaining real world experience.
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Runway is produced by students and assisted by faculty of the Fashion Department. This is a campus-wide collaboration between the Fashion and Textile Technology Department, Communication Design, Africana Studies, Theatre Department and Media Production. Our students stylists work with local boutiques, models, freelance hair and makeup stylists to create the best runway look.
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All level designers are required to submit their garments to the Jury of Selection a month before the event. The Jury of Selection is made up of industry experts who give feedback on the marketability, styling, fabrication and quality of each garment. Only the best garments are invited to show in runway. Jury members are pulled from our alumni network to ensure the best possible critique, which is crucial to our student's development and future success. The jury also selects outstanding designers who will win: Senior Designer 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place, Best Use of Color, and Rising Star Award.
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The second round of judging takes place on the runway, where fashion professionals are invited to enjoy our VIP experience and fashion show as "Runway Judges." Lending their industry expertise, our judges select their favorite designer/Best in Show.
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.