Skyline High fashion students debut original designs at full‑scale runway show

A group of Dallas ISD students hit the runway Thursday night, showcasing their original, one‑of‑a‑kind designs.

It's all part of Skyline High School's unique fashion program, which prepares students for future careers in the industry.

It has taken months for Skyline senior Lizbeth Lopez to create her look.

"Honestly, I kind of feel the nerves, but I'm more excited than nervous," she said.

Runway inspired by childhood

Thursday night, she joined her classmates for a full‑scale fashion show. The theme, "All Dolled Up," is inspired by the seniors' favorite childhood dolls.

"I came up with a little cute design for Lalaloopsy," Lopez said. "Lalaloopsy is inspired by little dolls that have curls in their hair."

Every student participating in the show is part of the school's fashion program. It's the only high school in Texas offering a four‑year track in fashion.

Career‑focused curriculum

"All the Skyline programs are great, but the fashion cluster we are super engaged with our school, super engaged with the community outside of our school," Anaiah Walker said.

Dallas ISD is putting a major focus on career and technical education, giving students real‑world training and experience. Students can specialize in design, marketing, and production and graduate with industry certifications from Dallas College.

"So by senior year, they really take a journey through the design process from initial inspiration to sketching to fabric sourcing, all the way to sewing their final collection," teacher Jennifer Stanley‑Guerra said.

Students already working

Their teacher says seeing it all come together is the most rewarding part.

"Our students, even though they are still in high school, some of them are already in the workforce," Stanley‑Guerra said.

Lopez is one of them, working for Terry Costa and gaining hands‑on experience.

"Actually getting to live through my dream.. it just makes me really happy," she said.