Trading caps and gowns for couture, these Boston students celebrate graduation on the runway

By Leanna Scachetti

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    BOSTON (WCVB) — Closing out the spring semester means a walk across the stage for most of Boston’s graduates but some mark the achievement with a runway, strutting models and something a little more unique than the traditional cap and gown.

“It’s fast-paced, it’s so fun,” said student designer Norma Hellstein. “There’s like this buzzy energy. It’s unlike anything else.”

The School of Fashion Design in downtown Boston closes out spring classes with a fashion show that showcases student projects made throughout the year. Before the garments hit the runway, school board members and administrators celebrate graduates and alumni and award scholarships.

This year’s show was particularly special because it marked 90 years of fashion instruction for the school.

“Mass panic is going on right now!” joked alumnus and instructor Daniel Faucher the week before the fashion show.

Faucher, class of 1982, said the goal of the fashion show is to give students the special experience of bringing a garment to life. Up until an hour or two before the show, he and students are still working on perfecting the garments.

“They’ve watched the Met Gala or the Oscars, and they see that moment of, ‘Oh my God, that’s amazing.’ And I think they want that moment,” he said.

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