The Lunar Gala fashion event is here! The annual student-run fashion show takes place at Carnegie Mellon University on March 30th at 7pm.
The show features over 150 students of different majors and backgrounds. It’s the largest fashion show in Pittsburgh. Here’s all the info!
About the Lunar Gala + Style412
It’s all about “brilliant artistry in design, modeling, and production,” fashion designer Suzanne Mauro said. Mauro oversees the mentorship program through her non-profit, Style412, “a Pittsburgh based non-profit organization committed to nurturing the growth of conscious fashion and industry professionals.”
They pair students creating a collection for the event with local Pittsburgh fashion designers, who assist them with their collections. The show has evolved to become the largest fashion event in Pittsburgh, with 1,500 fashion enthusiasts, students, and also the general public attending!
According to the Lunar Gala website, “Lunar Gala’s origins start from the Taiwanese Student Associations Lunar New Year tradition of wearing new clothes. To preserve this tradition, the organization continues to relate the annual themes to the Chinese zodiac animal of the year. This year; the zodiac is the dragon.”
Mentors + Designers
“Being a mentor for this year’s Lunar Gala has been fulfilling. Sharing inspiration and problem solving has been the highlight of my mentorship and with the students,” local fashion designer and mentor Imani Batts said.
The student-run organization at CMU is invested in “cultivating interdisciplinary creative talent within the community.” Suzanne Mauro talked about how students are excited to work with fashion professionals.
“This is the 5th year that Style412 has collaborated with CMU students participating in the Lunar Gala. We continue to provide a deep pool of resources of fashion experts from our community to mentor the students. Pittsburgh has an amazing group of fashion professionals, and the students love meeting them,” Mauro said.
It’s a great thing for CMU students because the school doesn’t offer fashion design in their curriculum. Students participating are majoring in other fields, such as computer science and architecture. Fashion design mentor, Cathy Olivar, talked about her experience of being a mentor.
“Being a mentor for the Lunar Gala has allowed me to experience many new things. I got to host a workshop where I brought in some work samples, did demonstrations, and answered any clothing construction questions the students had. Seeing the students put in so much time, effort, and creativity in their collections has been so inspiring, and I cannot wait to see it all come together at the show,” Olivar said.
Get Tickets!
You can get tickets for the Lunar Gala here! Also, be sure to follow their Instagram for updates about the event.
This content was provided by a local, independent contributor to Made in PGH, a lifestyle blog.