Every spring, a fashion runway is built inside the Holmes Convocation Center and it transforms into a place where Apparel Design & Merchandising seniors reveal the work that has consumed their minds, their hands, and often their hearts. Showcase, the program's annual fashion show event, is more than a presentation of garments. It is a culmination of identity, discipline, experimentation, and the kind of creative risk-taking that defines the ADM program.
Program Director Dr. Anthony Wilson, who has guided students through the process from concept to construction, sees Showcase as a testament to what happens when young designers commit fully to their ideas. "I'm quite proud when I see students put forth the time and effort these students have when bringing their creative visions to life," he says — a sentiment that resonates deeply with each of the senior designers.
"Showcase," Apparel Design & Merchandising annual fashion show
Meet Grace, Elizabeth, Sage, and Simon — four of nearly 100 student designers whose distinct collections are united by a shared thread: each uses design to explore something deeply personal.
Grace Lien
For senior designer Grace Lien, creativity begins in the cosmos — not the one above us, but the one inside. Her collection draws from the expansiveness of the mind and the vastness of space, a metaphor for the thoughts we can't always control but feel compelled to explore.
Working exclusively with secondhand and deadstock fabrics, Grace has learned to iterate, revise, and reimagine until each piece feels right. "What has made me most proud so far is my ability to reiterate a piece until I am fully happy with the look," she says. Sustainability isn't just a value for her — it's a constraint that fuels innovation.
Grace Lien
The process has been long, sometimes tedious, and certainly time-consuming. She laughs when asked how many hours she's invested. "Honestly I would rather not do the math on that... just know I am enjoying the process." After graduation, Grace will continue working in apparel while building her portfolio through secondhand sewing — a continuation of the ethos that shaped her collection.
Elizabeth Alvarez Martinez
For Elizabeth, fashion is a language of metamorphosis. Her collection centers on the butterfly — a symbol of identity, growth, and the courage to evolve.
"I wanted to explore how fashion can reflect different stages of life," she explains. But translating transformation into a garment proved to be its own challenge. She found herself constantly refining her ideas, searching for ways to make the clothing itself embody change without losing cohesion.
Elizabeth Alvarez Martin designs
The result is a piece she's deeply proud of — one that mirrors her own creative evolution. "Seeing the concept develop from sketches and inspiration into an actual garment was really rewarding," she says. She anticipates many more hours ahead as she perfects the final details, but she approaches the work with excitement, not exhaustion.
Sage Tupper
Sage Tupper's collection is raw, emotional, and deeply personal. Inspired by her experience living with Bipolar Disorder Type I, Sage's three looks — mania, depressive, and neutral — translate internal states into visual form.
"I wanted to showcase myself and my struggles into beauty and darkness onto the stage," she says. Her "mania" look, covered in hand-made straps, has been the most intimidating to construct, but also the most cathartic.
Sage is proud of every piece. "I am proud of all the looks and what I have been able to achieve," she says. Her work is not just fashion — it is testimony, expression, and resilience. The hours she's poured into the collection are "beyond counting," but the emotional clarity it has brought her is immeasurable.
Simon Jeffries
For Simon Jeffries, design begins with movement. His collection blends athletic and athleisure aesthetics with a conceptual exploration of uniform — how it shapes identity, how it signals belonging, and how it can be disrupted.
His asymmetrical silhouettes challenge the expectations of functional athletic wear, pushing the boundaries of what performance clothing can look like. But the journey hasn't been easy. Fabric sourcing became his biggest obstacle — expensive materials, limited availability, and even a stolen shipment set him back weeks.
Still, Simon persisted. "I'm most proud of the blend of aesthetic and functionality that I achieved," he says. His goal is to design running apparel professionally, and Showcase has allowed him to experiment with the balance between innovation and wearability. By the time the runway lights come up, he estimates he'll have invested more than 600 hours into the project — a number that speaks to both his ambition and his dedication.
Photo by University Communications
A Program That Shapes Designers and People
The Apparel Design & Merchandising program at App State is known for its hands-on, industry-informed curriculum, where students learn not only to design garments but to think critically about sustainability, identity, culture, and the future of fashion. Under Dr. Wilson's leadership, the program has continued to grow in visibility and rigor, preparing students for careers in design, merchandising, product development, and beyond.
Showcase is the moment when all of that learning becomes visible.
It is where Grace's cosmic introspection, Elizabeth's metamorphosis, Sage's emotional storytelling, and Simon's technical experimentation converge — four distinct visions, one shared stage.
And as the audience watches these seniors send their work down the runway, they'll see more than clothing. They'll see courage, curiosity, discipline, and the unmistakable imprint of designers who are ready to step into the world with something to say.
About the Department of Applied Design
One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Department of Applied Design at Appalachian State University fosters excellence in design education, design research, and professional placement. The department balances theoretical and pragmatic approaches while exploring an awareness of impact through design decisions on the global community. Faculty focus on a holistic approach to creative problem-solving by integrating sustainability and ethical responsibility in teaching and practice. The department offers bachelor's degrees in apparel design and merchandising, industrial design, and interior design.
About the College of Fine and Applied Arts
Appalachian State University's College of Fine and Applied Arts is a dynamic and innovative group of seven academic departments, bringing together a variety of perspectives, experiences, and real-world education to provide unique opportunities for student success. The college has more than 3,500 undergraduate and graduate majors. Its departments are Applied Design, Art, Communication, Military Science and Leadership, Sustainable Development, Sustainable Technology and the Built Environment, and Theatre and Dance.
About Appalachian State University
As the premier public undergraduate institution in the Southeast, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls nearly 21,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio, an
Behind the Showcase 2026 thumb
Behind the Showcase 2026 thumb