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The Fashion and Design Society’s (FADS) annual fashion show hits the virtual runway April 15 at 7 p.m. PDT. “Uncharted” will feature clothing collections created and executed by 10 students in the UC Davis Department of Design’s “Signature Collections” course. 

The student-run fashion show is usually held during UC Davis’ annual campuswide celebration on Picnic Day. Due to COVID-19, “Uncharted” will be presented in advance of Picnic Day this year. A video recording of the show will be available later for viewing as part of the virtual Picnic Day celebration on April 17 at picnicday.ucdavis.edu. 

“This year, ‘DES 179 Signature Collection’ students not only displayed their creativity with their collections, but also with the videos they developed for our very first virtual fashion show,” said Gozde Goncu-Berk, assistant professor of design. “During the 10-week online class, the students created their garments in their home studios and the results are designs that range from avant-garde sculptural looks to whimsical silhouettes. Zero-waste designs, 3D fabric manipulations, couture patterns and functionality are some of the highlights of this year’s virtual fashion show.”

In presenting this year’s collections, undergraduate student Olivia Simms researched a number of virtual formats. “The challenge was determining which platform would best serve the needs of all the student designers and their computers and technical equipment,” said Simms. “We agreed that Twitch would be easy to edit within and make any last-minute adjustments, since there are always last-minute changes in every fashion show.”

The FADS Fashion Show at UC Davis has been part of the annual Picnic Day celebration for over 30 years. Over time, the event has grown into one of the day’s more popular events.

The Department of Design is housed in the UC Davis College of Letters and Science, and is the only comprehensive design program within the University of California system.