Lasell University’s annual fashion shows, RUNWAY, featured work from 89 student designers and more than 150 models and production staff members. An undergraduate show on Friday, April 28, showcased work across 11 categories, including sweater knits, corsetry, athleisure, and non-textiles. On Saturday, senior designers presented full collections.

Fashion merchandising and management students Jacqueline Minasian ’23 and Catherine King ’23 co-directed the shows, while Noelle Engrassia ’23 served as production assistant. With guidance from Kristin Kinsky, assistant professor of fashion and RUNWAY faculty director, the student leaders managed the entire process: sourcing, training, and coordinating models; managing production staff; coordinating backstage and front-of-house needs; overseeing promotions and media; and working with designers to make their visions a reality.

“This experience challenged me in ways I never could have imagined,” says Engrassia. “I am proud of our team and how hard we worked all semester to put on the show. There was a lot of behind-the-scenes work, from model workshops to garment reviews, to have an organized and successful show. Walking across the runway with my team at the end and seeing how amazed everyone was is a memory I will remember for a lifetime!”

The senior class show on Saturday, April 29, highlighted collections from 22 fashion design and production students from the fashion design and production Class of 2023. Each collection included seven looks developed over the course of the year with accompanying music and video content to convey the designer’s vision: 

Caitlyn Geary: “Dahlia” | Chloe McGoldrick: “Frou-Frou Paper Dolls” | Brittini Bastiani: “Flowerchild” | Cassidy Phillips: “Spiritual Beauty” | Sean Spina: “The Songbird’s Longing: A Woodland Romance” | Karlyn Racela: “Renewable 1917” | Fouad Saadoun: “Olive Peace” |
Liliana Trujillo: “Confessions of a Socialite” | Brooke Andrew: “Vintage Cowgirl” | Sophia Mark: “2007” | Angelina Harrison: “It’s Debutant Season Once Again” | Emma Sparling: “Aligned” | Nicole Catania: “Colored Lens” | Jakob O’Gara: “Hike on …” | Johana Dhivers: “African Excellence” | Meghan O’Loughlin: “Divine Feminine” | Miao Miao Chen: “New Era” | Tyson Buggs: “After the End” | Olivia Zschirnt: “The Porcelain Collection” | Kiersten Brown: “Gozalo” | Sam Gilvar: “Growths” | Aiyana Chastenay: “Eternal Blossom”

“As a co-director, I worked with my executive team to bring these designs to life,” says Minasian. “Coming together as a whole RUNWAY class and spending countless hours coming up with creative ideas for the show was rewarding. I hope to carry on these amazing skills that I learned through my work for RUNWAY in the real world.”

The RUNWAY shows closed out Lasell’s end -of-year academic festivities, including the Connected Learning Symposium on Thursday, April 27.

Watch recordings of the 2023 RUNWAY shows here.

Photos by Dylan Wilson '23