Style, Substance and Sustainability: The Pantone Colors of 2025
For months, student designers at Santa Monica College (SMC) had worked diligently to complete their end of semester collections. On June 20 their hard work came to fruition at SMC’s annual LA Mode fashion show, led by SMC’s fashion professors and directors La Tanya Louis and Lorrie Ivas. The show was held in the courtyard of SMC’s main campus, with enough space for a full runway, vendors, and attendees.
25 student designers were featured in the show, the biggest production SMC has put on to date. Judges pre-evaluated the collections and rewarded students based on criteria like sustainability, marketability and creativity.
The event itself allowed families, friends and alumni to pose on their ‘Mocha Carpet’ for pictures before exploring the various vendors present. The carpet was a nod to Pantone Color of the Year 2025, ‘Mocha Mousse’.
LA Mode’s runway was a collaborative event as professors and students from other departments worked alongside the student designers. Under the direction of Communication and Media Studies Department Chair Redelia Shaw, Professor Gail Fetzer, and Broadcast Tech Manager Thoren Jorgensen, communication and media students helped each designer curate an interview-style video explaining their respective collection.
Each video allowed attendees to get a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes work that went into the designs, and what inspired the collections. Many students gave credit to their cultural upbringings, personal relationships, or gained inspiration from luxury designers such as Alexander McQueen.
“This is also my way of paying homage to the bonds I have with all the women in my life, As a woman, it scares me seeing some of our rights being taken away and being decided by men, so I hope this collection helps empower girls, women, and female-presenting people of all ages.” said student-designer Krissia Guerrero.
Style, substance and sustainability were the overarching themes present throughout the show, encouraging students to be conscious about the materials that they use. The sustainability aspect stands out as the focus of this show, with designers utilizing resources such as upcycling and thrifting.
“I will be using upcycled materials, scrap fabric and donated textiles,” said student-designer Lauren Asbury. Ashbury’s collection expressed childlike wonder and imagination using a soft color palette and various feminine silhouettes. Her collection “Big Fairy Energy”, won the award for Most Sustainable Collection.
The SMC LA Mode show gave students the opportunity to showcase their work in a professional setting, while still maintaining a lighthearted atmosphere with personalized music with the addition of dynamic and colorful makeup looks.
For more details on SMC’s fashion program and LA Mode, you can visit their page on Santa Monica College’s official website.
https://www.smc.edu/academics/academic-departments/photography-fashion/fashion-design/LA-Mode-fashion-show.php?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaeHtYkauzPGt8pX6Vg7x2x-ojU7zu4l4aTaKndPxeItxFIdg9vUlTqcjpFZbw_aem_hzLHUt5c6Hs_SPUzi1yG7A