SCAD's 2026 Student Runway Show Was Its Biggest Yet

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) may not be located in a “big four” fashion capital, but its annual invite-only student runway event is on par with what you’d experience at a major fashion week (or, dare I say, even better). That expectation was met once again this year: On Friday in Savannah, Georgia, press, professors, students and industry insiders took in a bold show, filled with imaginative looks pushing the boundaries of creativity.

The show began with a performance by break dancer Lil Buck (who was wearing a look by graduating designer Noah Drew). Then came the runway show, opened by Coco Rocha, a supermodel and coach to the SCAD student models.

Coco Rocha opening SCAD’s 2026 Student Runway Show, wearing a design by Sophia Williams. Photo: Courtesy of SCAD

The 2026 show was one of SCAD’s largest to date, spotlighting the work of more than 60 designers selected from the school’s largest-ever graduating class in fashion design. Each of them presented a three-piece collection, resulting in a nearly 200-look lineup.

Despite the large cohort, the collections and their inspirations couldn’t have been more unique: Courtney Cope’s Victorian “soft goth” collection was inspired by the emotional transition from childhood to adulthood; Stella Beltranena made an eveningwear collection referencing the architectural beauty of shells; Juliette Hamilton’s upcycled lineup referenced Swedish folklore; Valentina De Ponte created wearable versions of luggage, inspired by migration; and Natalie Clickman used handbraiding techniques to honor her Middle Eastern and Jewish culture.

A collection by Carly Schweighardt walking down the runway for SCAD’s 2026 Student Runway Show. Photo: Courtesy of SCAD

Students from SCAD’s Atlanta campus also got their work spotlighted: Jinseo Park’s conceptual eveningwear line captured the hope and optimism to emerge from the chaos of South Korea’s 2024 candlelight vigil; Teresa Zacapa referenced the Rococo era through a cosmic futuristic lens; and Madison Osborne addressed the catastrophe and “casual racism” surrounding Hurricane Katrina by leaning into how her family overcame the hardship.

“One way we as a family bonded was by watching the Saints games every Sunday,” Osborne tells Fashionista, referencing sport elements in her collection. “We are talking about something really sad, but it’s also beautiful and I wanted to have fun with this and pay homage to where I’m from and my family.”

The closing six eveningwear looks made by students mentored by Lanvin’s creative director, Peter Copping. Photo: Courtesy of SCAD

Closing out the show were eveningwear looks by six student designers who
were each mentored by Lanvin‘s creative director, Peter Copping.

“I really feel like SCAD gets overlooked sometimes because of our location,” student designer Cope says. “So I hope you can see the amount of construction that is in each of these garments and how much work is put into every single person’s collection. I hope everyone can realize that there’s a good combination of conceptual and innovative collections, but also technique, functionality, and construction that back it up.”

Ahead, see every look from SCAD’s 2026 Student Fashion Show.