When the house lights dim, the music begins to blare, and flowing fabrics of silk and satin whoosh around the stage, then you know it’s time for the RMCAD community to gather for the most stylish night of the whole year. Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design’s fashion showcase brings together some of the most talented Fashion Design students to show off their unique designs. Friday, June 5, 2026, represents the culmination of years of learning for many of these designers, as their work reflected the showcase’s theme of “Recontextualize.”
The annual showcase was more than just a celebration of these students’ progress; it was a celebration of fashion as a medium for expression, highlighting the many complex themes and topics that the young designers weave into their collections. Designers were encouraged to embrace the showcase’s theme by “exploring how shifting one’s cultural, historical, and material “lenses” impacts one’s role as both an artist and researcher.”
Each student brought in their own background, interests, and critiques into their collections. We caught up with four of these seniors in the Fashion Design program before the showcase to have them illuminate some of the core themes and inspirations that their collections recontextualize.
Aisling Higgins
Aisling HigginsIf there was one thing Aisling Higgins wants the audience to take away from her collection, it’s that “fashion can be fun and it also can be storytelling.” The story of her collection slowly unfolded on the night of the fashion showcase; with each new look strutting out with its model, individual garments unveiled the picture Higgins had painted.
Drawing on the recognizable motif of birthday parties, her collection starts with a fun-loving innocence. By incorporating the iconography of playful pastels, big bows, and bright balloons, Higgins constructs something familiar with a distinctly uncanny twist. As more and more models hit the catwalk on the night of the showcase, their looks began to slowly incorporate more and more horror elements. Higgins shared that she was inspired to begin her collection with these more “cutesy outfits before transforming into something closer to ‘Carrie’ at the end of her prom.”
In fact, the 1976 film ‘Carrie’ proved to be a rich vein for Higgins to mine, homaging Carrie’s final outfit and the film’s iconic bloody climax. By combining these macabre elements with the initial birthday-inspired outfits in her collection, she was able to take the audience on a journey of celebration and lament.
Bella Radloff
Bella RadloffAnother student who drew inspiration from popular culture is Bella Radloff, winner of this year’s ‘Leadership Award.’ However, she was less focused on concocting the stuff of nightmares and more focused on the stuff of ‘Nick at Night.’ One character in particular became the muse of Radloff’s collection that was all about bold colors, loud patterns, and taking up space.
Fran Fine, the eponymous lead of the 90’s sitcom ‘The Nanny,’ is a character that Radloff “always connected with because people would always say, “she’s too loud”, “she’s too much,” and that’s something I always heard growing up.” Fran Fine (not to be confused with Fran Drescher, the actress who brought her to life) is known for her ostentatious animal prints and maximalist color schemes that have made her a style icon as the show has aged into camp vintage.
As such, Radloff’s collection was a celebration of what it means when women allow themselves to be loud, quirky, and bold. Utilizing “fun twists on traditional tailoring techniques,” including smocked cuffs, gathered two-piece sleeves, and unique takes on welt pockets. This wasn’t the first time she’s used her love of tailoring to honor iconic women in pop culture. In fact, Radloff’s first foray into fashion began by designing her own ‘Barbie’ clothes. Now, she has come a long way, with her original outfits hitting the runway in front of hundreds!
Ky Marcum
Ky MarcumDigital Garden was the name of Ky Marcum’s collection, which was inspired by the “language of digital avatars, anime and manga character design, sci-fi/fantasy worlds, as well as androgynous K-pop styling.” Marcum’s goal with this collection was for “each and every one of my looks to make the wearer feel like they are their own video game character and they get to characterize themselves, customize their look, and go out into the world as that version of themselves.” With such lofty ambitions, it’s no surprise that her collection won the accolade of ‘Most Creative.’
In her collection, Marcum saw fashion as more than just a means of expression but also as an avenue for social change. According to Earth.org, “the average US consumer throws away 81.5lbs of clothes every year,” which was a stat that really stuck with and inspired Marcum to think sustainably when designing her collection. Digital Garden was compiled almost entirely of recycled textiles in an attempt to cut down on waste and recontextualize existing materials. Sourcing only two completely new fabrics, Marcum wanted to maximize her impact while minimizing her carbon footprint. As such, her new fabrics were printed with Marcum’s original illustrations.
“Through sustainable and modular design, I’ve created this collection to be as adaptable and versatile as possible.” This meant utilizing a variety of closures ranging from zippers and ties all the way to grommets and safety pins to make the garments more adaptable. Regardless of the temperature, context, or aesthetic desire of the wearer, Marcum’s outfits are fully functional for nearly all occasions.
Miles Lopez
Miles LopezWhile other students were pulling inspiration from cultures across the globe and TV shows from decades past, Miles Lopez took a different approach. Lopez looked no further than home itself, centering their collection on “the Hispanic home, how it feels, what it’s like, and what it represents.” Lopez wanted to capture those specific colors and textures they remember from home and take them to the runway, honoring both Latin culture and, more specifically, his grandmother, who was also a sewist.
In Lopez’s eyes, there has never been a more important time to celebrate Hispanic heritage than right now. After ICE raids became a common occurrence, Lopez knew that he wanted his collection to serve as commentary on the terrifying reality that many in the Latinx community have had to face. He shared that it was “disheartening to see that a country built off immigration would treat its immigrants this way.” As such, their collection represents the two different sides of the same coin.
Utilizing embroidery techniques, the collection was full of powerful statements such as ‘No Human is Illegal on Stolen Land,’ ‘Courage is Resistance,’ and ‘Respect Our Existence or Expect Our Resistance.’ Additionally, by carefully choosing the colors for each garment to either represent the warmth of the Hispanic home or the hostility of ICE, Lopez’s collection slowly transitions from warm-color hand-dyed fabric to manufactured cool colors.
Fashion is Expression
Fashion isn’t about clothing; it’s about using the human form as a canvas for expression. For these designers, expression came in the form of storytelling, homage, reuse, and protest. Every small choice of textile, tailoring, and technique built these collections of wholly original garments with rich points of view.
These four designers are just the tip of the iceberg of all the phenomenal talent the Recontextualize showcase had to offer. With students on-campus and online bringing their original designs to the runway, RMCAD couldn’t be prouder of all the talented designers bringing their unique voices to life through fashion.
To see more looks from the 2026 Fashion Showcase on RMCAD’s YouTube channel, click here. Additionally, if you would like to see a full list of winners at RMCAD’s 2026 Fashion Showcase, keep reading below.
Is Fashion Design the Right Fit for You?
It is the job of fashion designers to employ strong use of meaningful fabrics, colors that mesmerize, and silhouettes that become unforgettable. Like writing, designers employ metaphors and symbolism to captivate their audience and provoke their own form of expression. Is that how you like to express yourself? Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design’s Fashion Design program may be right for you!
This Bachelor of Fine Arts program is all about skills-based learning under the tutelage of working professionals. Offered in your choice of online or on-campus learning formats, this program allows students to develop skills along with a robust portfolio for fashion designers. Contact us to request more information about this program, or take the next step by completing your application for admission today.
Award Winners
Recontextualize
- Rab Award – Cesia Padilla
- Most Creative – Bess Cauley
- Best Workmanship – Frank Rodriguez
- Best Collection – Silas Wheeler
- Recontextualize Award – Nicole Miswell
Senior
- Best Collection – Kristopher Derrick
- Best Workmanship – Alexa Lutin Paniagua
- Most Creative – Ky Marcum
- Best Virtual – Cameron Dunn
Best Volunteer – Ryan Wiegand
Photography – Leandra Hausle
Leadership Award – Bella Radloff
Many of the quotes in this story have been edited for brevity and clarity by the author, but are meant to retain the significance and purpose of the original speaker.
