LA Mode 2026: From Classroom to Catwalk
Long before the runway lights turned on, Santa Monica College students spent months building LA Mode 2026 — SMC’s annual student fashion show. The show was built through two interconnected courses: Fashion Show Production and Apparel Collection Design and Production.
Student production teams organized model casting, social media promotion, hospitality, sponsorship outreach, rehearsals and designer-model coordination, while student designers developed and constructed their collections.
During casting, the model search committee judges evaluated more than experience.
"I always try and look for potential," committee member Kori Elmore said of the casting process. Fellow judge Lillian Hess said she looked for "just people who had a good energy."
Members also considered designers' requests for specific looks — including androgynous, plus-sized and culturally representative models.
After casting, designers selected models whose appearance and style fit the stories they wanted to tell on the runway. Fashion design student Alice Newman said she was searching for "a model that looks like a runway model — tall, thin, high fashion."
For Professor LaTanya Louis, who teaches both courses and produces the event, it is ultimately about student growth. "I'm grateful to be able to share my industry experience with these amazing students," Louis said. "They're very ambitious and want to learn all that they can."
LA Mode 2026 is scheduled for Monday, June 8, at 7 p.m. at the John Adams Middle School Performing Arts Center in Santa Monica. A Cloud Carpet reception begins at 4:30 p.m. with sponsor giveaways and networking opportunities for students, alumni and industry guests. The show will feature 21 student-designed collections presented by student models. Tickets are $25 for general admission and $20 for students and can be purchased at smc.edu/tickets.
