On April 30, Pascack Valley High School’s fashion program will put on its 15th annual school fashion show, The Valley Runway.
During this year’s show, students from Valley’s Fashion Design and Clothing Construction class will walk the runway as usual, along with a new addition: the Pascack Valley Fashion Club. Students in the club worked on learning to sew and preparing to debut a few pieces in the show.
Annette Molino, teacher of the fashion classes and advisor of the Fashion Club, explained some new additions, “This year, we’re setting up a red carpet in the front [entrance]. That will be a photo op for everyone. I’m also having a charcuterie board and cheese presentation. My daughter’s putting it together for us.”
Looking back to the beginning of the student-run fashion show, the idea began when students wanted a way to display their work. The first runway took place in the auditorium in 2011.
“We started out doing it in an auditorium… [but] it felt too much like a pageant. So, we moved it to the cafeteria, and we used to black out the windows and set out lights,” said Molino. “It became a bit impractical, especially as the weather gets hot. It would be very hot in the cafeteria. So we are back in the auditorium.”
The show started with 40 outfits and at its peak rose to 170, being around 20-30 minutes long. This year, Molino says there will be around 150 outfits showcased.
“Professional fashion shows are anywhere from, like, 5 to 14 minutes. 14 minutes is really long…[and] because you don’t talk during the show…[The Valley Runway] was kind of boring.” Molino conveyed.
Now, the runway lasts about half an hour and features the Pascack Valley Band’s Jazz Ensemble to liven things up.
“We picked up the pace and blasted the music, and the past couple [of] years we’ve had the jazz ensemble,” said Molino.
The process of designing a student fashion show needs to be well thought out, with so many things to manage its important to stay organized.
“We have to get students interested in wanting to show their work,” said Molino. “So they have to feel good about their work.”
She added that getting students to feel confident in their work is one of the biggest hurdles to clear.
“And just before we’re about to have our show, it gets a little complicated because that’s where we have our slideshow with everybody’s sketchwork and photos of the garments,” stated Molino. “It takes a long time to put it together.”
Over the years, there have been many students who have started on The Valley Runway and gone on to work in the fashion industry. Molino explained how she has had former students working in Milan and designing in Canada. Currently, she has a student who works in the city.
“She sends us yards and yards of designer fabric that they rejected from their line,” explained Molino. “The designer orders the fabric to be made, and then they…have a big meeting and decide which ones they’re keeping. And she sends the [rejects] all to us.”
This year, Pascack Valley Fashion will add another show to its long-running history and showcase many talented student-designers. Be sure to check it out!
