Runway and Design Shows

It’s hard to beat the thrill of seeing your work on the runway or in a showroom. Throughout their college careers, our students receive multiple opportunities to have that experience.

4 Fashion Shows

provide NC State students with the opportunity to showcase their work.

The Fashion Exposé and Art2Wear are open to student designers enrolled in any program at any point in their college careers. The FTD Emerging Designers Showcase is limited to seniors in our fashion and textile design program. Threads is only available to seniors in fashion development and product management who choose to enroll in the elective course.

While fashion shows are an opportunity for our student designers, they bring together the entire Wilson College community. Students across all of our programs frequently volunteer to model, work in promotions and ticketing, or simply attend to support their friends.

FTD Emerging Designers

FTD Emerging Designers represents the culmination of four years of fashion and textile design (FTD) education and experience. FTD students spend their final semester creating collections for this capstone course. What they create in our labs and studios depends on their concentration.

Fashion Design

Fashion design students debut their collections with a runway show, complete with a professional photographer, a livestream of the event and ticketed seats for the public.

Each student takes six looks from concept to final product.

A line of models walks down the runway with the crowd visible in the background. — Erika Norris’ 2024 collection “The Puppeteer’s Workshop.” Photo Courtesy: Amanda Law Photography.

Textile Design

Textile design students display their collections in custom-designed booths open to the public.

Seniors create everything from art installations to home textile products, apparel and fabric swatches.

A showroom with white curtains shows a headboard, pillows, bedding, rug, upholstered bench, fabric samples and more in floral, stripe and checkered patterns in green blue and pink colors. — Mary Mac Lyons 2024 collection “Jolie.” Photo Courtesy: Amanda Law Photography.

Threads Fashion Gala

Seniors in the fashion development and product management (FDPM) concentration of the fashion and textile management major can choose take the Threads elective course. They spend the semester building their own industry-quality collections which then debut at the Threads Fashion Gala each fall.

A woman in a bright pink outfit walks down a makeshift runway in an art gallery, while an audience of casually dressed men and women watch. The gallery features various modern art pieces on white walls, and a bouquet of flowers sits at the edge of the runway. — Sophia Brown’s collection “Sophisticated” at the Threads 2023 Fashion Gala. Photo Courtesy: Amanda Law Photography.

Two shows are open to all students:

Fashion Exposé

The African American Textile Society’s Fashion Exposé allows up-and-coming designers from around the Triangle to showcase their work. The annual show is NC State’s longest-running student design competition and takes place during the university’s Pan-Afrikan Week.

Designers from around NC State and other universities compete in the novice and intermediate categories for scholarships.

Model walks onto the runway wearing a blue corset and matching pants from the "When it Rains" collection. — Julia Handley’s Fashion Exposé collection. Photo Credit: Julia Elise Photography

Art2Wear

Each year, NC State students compete for the opportunity to showcase their collections in this fashion show hosted by NC State’s College of Design. Wilson College students frequently participate either as designers or behind the scenes in planning and marketing roles.

Two dancers perform on stage, one in a white, patterned dress with orange accents and the other in an orange dress with ruffled streamers. They are mid-motion, smiling, and illuminated against a dark backdrop. — “Submerged” by fashion and textile management student Abby Stuart. Photo Courtesy: Redi NC State.

A line of models walks down the runway, with the audience visible in the background. All models wear bright shiny fabrics with floral details.

NC State Seniors Design What’s Next in Fashion, Fiber Art, Home Textiles

Graduating seniors from the Wilson College of Textiles’ fashion and textile design program launch their capstone collections.

Chase Woodson in front of her designs in the Textile Design Studio

Passion For Beautiful Spaces Drives Chase Woodson to Textile Design, SCAD Interior Design MFA

Read how she plans to use her textile education and unique voice as an artist in the next phase of her career.

Lilly Barozzini standing in front of two mannequins with her designs and a mood board.

Lilly Barozzini ’24: Fashion Design and the Full College Experience

The new fashion design alumna wanted somewhere she could launch a successful career and build community. With a job offer in hand, it’s safe to say she found that with the Wilson College of Textiles.