SCAD presents SCAD FASHION 2026
SAVANNAH, GEORGIA — The Savannah College of Art and Design is thrilled to present SCAD FASHION 2026, the university's signature showcase of collections by senior and graduate students from the prestigious SCAD School of Fashion. Presented May 13–15 in Savannah, this year's event features a dynamic lineup of activations and experiences, culminating in the acclaimed SCAD FASHION runway show, Friday, May 15, at 8:30 p.m. ET at the SCAD Museum of Art. The runway show is attended by fashion industry leaders and design VIPs and livestreamed to audiences around the world.
The SCAD FASHION 2026 runway show will present the boldest collections from an elite roster of more than 60 designers drawn from the School of Fashion's largest graduating class ever, debuting nearly 200 looks. International fashion tour de force Coco Rocha returns to coach the SCAD student models, sharing her expertise as one of the most technically proficient and versatile models in the industry. This year's runway is veiled by an aerial fibers installation by renowned sculpture artist Janet Echelman, adding a striking visual dimension to the show. Creative collaborators also include award-winning performing artist and dancer Lil Buck and filmmaker, professional dancer, and SCAD student Jeremiah Elias (B.F.A. film and television).
The grand finale of the SCAD FASHION runway show will feature an exquisite eveningwear presentation by six SCAD fashion students who were each mentored by Peter Copping, the artistic director of Lanvin and the university's designer in residence. Over the course of the academic year, Copping has provided this select cohort with exceptional creative direction and atelier-level insight, guiding each designer from initial concept to a fully realized look. The result is an elevated culmination of the SCAD FASHION experience that leaves a lasting impression of artistry, precision, and mastery.
"This spring, the SCAD runway reveals revolutionary new work from across the university featuring, among scores of imaginative looks, eveningwear designed by SCAD students under the exclusive mentorship of Lanvin's legendary Peter Copping. Join us as the future of fashion manifests in real time, and tomorrow's stars shine ever so brightly beneath the Savannah moonlight."
PAULA WALLACE | SCAD President and Founder
"Mentoring the fashion students at SCAD has been a truly rewarding experience for me. Their curiosity and fresh perspectives continually inspire, reminding me how vital it is to keep creativity open and evolving. It's been a privilege to support them as they bring their eveningwear visions to life to be presented at the SCAD FASHION runway show."
PETER COPPING | Artistic director of Lanvin and SCAD designer in residence
SCAD FASHION 2026 will also spotlight BAZAAR by shopSCAD, the university's new retail destination featuring limited-run atelier-crafted fashion, accessories, and jewelry by SCAD students and alumni. BAZAAR is a direct extension of the SCAD School of Fashion academic experience, where concepts are cultivated in the classroom and evolve into professional execution. A curated selection of student designs featured on the runway will debut at BAZAAR following the presentation.
"This is our largest ever cohort of graduating fashion seniors, so there's a wide range of expression here. What unites their collections is a vivid sense of storytelling and, in many cases, an exuberant playfulness that feels unexpected and courageous. These students aren't waiting to be launched; they're launching themselves. They're already placing their designs with celebrities at music festivals and movie premieres, racking up millions of views on TikTok, and producing limited runs of their clothes even before graduating. We can't wait to see what they do next and to carry their lines at BAZAAR, SCAD's new fashion retail destination."
DIRK STANDEN | Dean, SCAD School of Fashion
The SCAD FASHION 2026 festivities will also feature a special building dedication ceremony, Wednesday, May 13, celebrating the SCAD Jewelers Mutual Studio, home to the university's jewelry program, the largest and most comprehensive in North America. The building dedication honors the groundbreaking $10 million, 10-year alliance between Jewelers Mutual and SCAD in support of bench jeweler education, reinforcing a shared commitment to developing the next generation of jewelry artisans and innovators. Additionally, the beloved SCAD Jewelry Trunk Show will take place Thursday, May 14 and Friday, May 15 at Poetter Hall, inviting guests and the community to shop stunningly crafted works by SCAD's elite jewelry students, alumni, and faculty.
The collections presented on the SCAD FASHION 2026 runway have been expertly evaluated and chosen by a distinguished jury of esteemed fashion leaders and industry experts, including Elyce Arons, John Caruso, Max Condon, José Criales-Unzueta, Jian DeLeon, Jacob Gallagher, John Geiger, Antoine Gregory, Emily Dawn Long, Lynette Nylander, Dynasty Ogun, Soull Ogun, Bruce Pask, Christopher John Rogers, Amy Smilovic, Kyle Smith, Hillary Taymour, and Alex White.
Throughout the 2025–26 academic year, SCAD fashion students have had the exclusive opportunity to engage and network with distinguished industry leaders who provide guidance and critiques through the Style Lab mentor program. This year's mentors include Christopher Brumfield, Tremaine Emory, Yu Fukumoto, Azède Jean-Pierre, Bianca Kuttickattu, Austin Nelson, Bruce Pask, Alexandra Pijut, Rebma Salad, Sam Salad, and Simon Ungless. The SCAD School of Fashion has also hosted a prestigious roster of distinguished designers and industry figures to engage with students through master classes, critiques, and portfolio reviews including Pharrell Williams, Hamish Bowles, Stuart Weitzman, Wilson Smith, Will Welch, Veronica Leoni, Stephen Jones, and more. SCAD offers the most elite, connected, and comprehensive fashion program in the world, with undergraduate and graduate degrees in fashion, accessory design, fashion marketing and management, fibers, jewelry, and sneaker design. In the 2025–26 academic year, SCAD earned some of higher education's top honors, including recognition as the No. 1 design university in the U.S. and Europe by the internationally renowned Red Dot Ranking. This year, SCAD students also secured the highest number of recipients nationwide for the Fashion Scholarship Fund (FSF) Class of 2026, along with more Gucci Changemaker Scholarships than any other university.
For more information, visit scad.edu/fashion2026.
SCAD SCHOOL OF FASHION
The SCAD School of Fashion offers a dynamic, innovative curriculum in design and construction, fashion history, and merchandising and marketing. Fashion students hone their creative and intellectual thinking, master inventive design skills, and gain the practical expertise necessary to succeed in global fashion careers.
SCAD's Savannah style HQ, Number Nine, offers leading-edge technology. In Atlanta and Lacoste, France, SCAD fashion students enjoy access to SCAD FASH museums, which show acclaimed exhibitions by fashion luminaries like Christian Dior, Jeanne Lanvin, Jean Paul Gaultier, Cristóbal Balenciaga, Christian Lacroix, Julien Fournié, Horst P. Horst, Azzedine Alaïa, Isabel Toledo, Christian Siriano, Carolina Herrera, Pierre Cardin, Oscar de la Renta, and Guo Pei. The School of Fashion welcomes prominent designers and industry professionals who give lectures, lead workshops, and provide valuable insight through one-on-one interactions with students. Past visitors have included fashion designers Pharrell Williams, Daniel Roseberry, Tory Burch, Peter Copping, Emily Adams Bode, Willy Chavarria, Eileen Fisher, Wes Gordon, Danial Aitouganov, Hillary Taymour, Francesco Risso, Ludovic de Saint Sernin, Anna Sui, Raul Lopez, Robert Wun, Becca McCharen-Tran, Mary Katrantzou, and Peter Som; Vogue's Sally Singer, Tonne Goodman, and Karla Martínez de Salas; fashion journalists Cathy Horyn, Stefano Tonchi, Vanessa Friedman, Rachel Tashjian, and Véronique Hyland; and fashion photographers Campbell Addy, Michael Bailey-Gates, Ellen von Unwerth, and Robert Fairer.
SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls approximately 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university's renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2025 study found that 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.
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