Fashion Forward


SH/FT is an experimental fashion show where students can flex their creative design muscles by collaborating and creating alongside a professional designer mentor. Each team dreams up and fabricates a garment made of found and recycled materials. Their amazing designs are presented in a community fashion event by a beloved drag queen walking the final design down a runway!


I had the honor of photographing this year's designs and teams and I must say that I was blown away by each one. They were all so unique and creative. With designers ranging from 12-18 years old these students created pieces of wearable art. It was an honor to be among the first to see their work before it was shared at a finale fashion show at Oregon Contemporary.

The Designs

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This Years Design Teams

Inspired by a Fem Fatale, this incredible team came up with one of my favorite designs of the season. From the detailing on the oversized hat, to the color choice. This outfit is a showstopper!

This bee design was super cute! All the details, from the flowers on the neck to the glitter in the wings. It can't help but make anyone looking at it smile. This is an outfit that will definitely turn heads!

It was evident how much fun this team had creating this Tina Turner inspired dress. With fringe made of tabs from soda cans, safety pins, and other found objects you could hear this dress long before you see it.

The youngest design team was among the most ambitious of the group. Their unique design was full of texture and creativity. Using binder coils, flowers, and more there was so much to take in on this incredible piece.

While this may seem like a simple design at first glance, the details in this sharp outfit are what make it truly unique and special. A head-to-toe look with its floor length cape is a head turner.

This team was spot on with their vision. When I asked this team how they would describe their look, they said it was soft, feminine, and light. From the color to the texture, to the materials used this outfit was exactly what they described.

Made Possible By

Arts For Learning


I am all about supporting creators of all ages, that's why I'm a teaching artist. Arts for Learning connects young people with diverse arts and creative experiences and makes the arts abundantly accessible in their schools and communities. Each year they serve more than 50,000 students in 27 school districts across Portland Metro, SW Washington, and Central Oregon with high-quality arts integration and enrichment programs that inspire, connect, and transform young people’s learning experiences. I'm proud to be an artist on their roster and to support young people through arts education. Many of their programs are made possible through grant and public funding as well as individual doners. You can support art education by becoming a GEM or with a one-time donation online.


Find out more about Arts for Learning and all the great work they do for the community.