CCAD grads’ fashion designs hit the runway

fashion week promo block

For the latest, hippest looks and a peek at emerging trends in fashion, look no further: Fashion Week Columbus is Sunday, Sept. 20–Saturday, Sept. 26, 2020. And this year, this flagship program from the Columbus Fashion Council includes cutting-edge designs from two Columbus College of Art & Design alumni, who will show their work online at the 11th Annual Finale Runway Show at 8 p.m. Sept. 26.

Fashion Week Columbus showcases up-and-coming fashion designers to media, buyers, and the central Ohio fashion community. (And it’s a pretty big deal: After all, Columbus is the no. 3 fashion city in the U.S., behind only New York and Los Angeles.) Tracy Powell and Xuena Pu (both Fashion Design, 2020) were selected as two of the four designers whose work will be featured in this year’s event.

Fashion Week Columbus Co-Chair Thomas McClure says Fashion Week applicants were required to provide sketches, their brand story, brand history, and images (if available).  FWC’s Style Team then narrowed down the applicant pool to the 15 strongest designers, who met with a panel of industry professionals to present their collections or concept. 

“It's a very intimidating process, but necessary,” says McClure. 

Designers were scored on construction, trend, and saleability; the panel then deliberated and selected designers to take part on the 11th Annual Finale Runway Show 

“Both Tracy and Xuena scored very high and presented well,” McClure says. 

Born in China to a family of traditional craftspeople, Pu, now a Powell resident, will show her collection Memories at FWC. Her inspiration: Her grandmother’s clothing—a wrap waist with wide-bottom pants—a childhood outfit made by her mother, ancient Chinese weaving techniques handed down to her by her grandmother, and much more. The collection also was inspired “by macramé plant hangers that compelled me to research and explore such techniques as macramé, weaving, crochet, and Chinese knotting.“The synergy of all these techniques has led to my modern silhouettes that continue to embody traditional Chinese textile techniques,” she says.

Beyond FWC, Pu also was selected for the 2020–2021 Praxis Fiber Workshop Emerging Artist Fellowship, a multi-month fellowship that will enable her to immerse herself in fiber techniques and processes, and will culminate in a one-month solo exhibition in August 2021. Pu calls the fellowship “an honor.” And it’s one that is fast approaching.“I will leave for Cleveland right after the FWC Finale Runway Show,” she says. In addition, a signature piece from Memories has been selected to exhibit in the International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference when it is held online Nov. 18–20, 2020.

CCAD's FWC relationship this year extends beyond Powell and Pu. CCAD student Ryder Teach (Fashion Design, 2021) has been selected to receive this year’s Fashion Week Columbus scholarship. Teach says his selection as recipient of the $2,500 scholarship was an honor and a surprise. “The FWC Council brings such a unique and charismatic element to Columbus, and I am truly so happy to have been selected,” says Teach.

Last year, that scholarship went to Hannah Jarrell (Fashion Design, 2020). Click here to see her in last year’s FWC Lookbook (on page 14). The 2020 digital lookbook will be released at 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, through the event’s social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter. The 11th Annual Finale Runway Show will step off online later that day, at 8 p.m. Secure your tickets to the runway show now.


Learn more about Fashion Design at CCAD or apply now.