Every morning, a group of people get up and prepare for their day with a singular goal—pursuing a career in the world of fashion and design. There are numerous ways to go about this journey, and all of those choices share one thing—the desire to create and share new ideas. 

I recently attended a fashion show called “The Haute List” which provided student designers from the Art Institute of Wisconsin a platform to spotlight their work. The school opened in the Third Ward of Milwaukee in the fall of 2010 with a goal to work with their students, as well as the community, to push the limits of creativity and production. The show I photographed was their fourth annual fashion production conceptualized by students putting forth countless hours of work to dazzle and entertain their audience. In essence, all the departments of the school, including Graphic Design and Advertising, Game Art and Animation, Digital Film, Culinary Arts, Fashion Marketing, and Fashion Design came together to showcase their talents!  

The venue was the historic Turner Hall in downtown Milwaukee. The show was opened with a spoken word performance by Sheri Williams Pannell who was awarded the school’s Excellence in Art Education Award, and she was followed by models wearing the work of student designers. The large crowd of over 400 people enjoyed the fast-paced show featuring models of all ages and sizes, which was refreshing. Awards were also given to students in the following categories, Most Marketable, Best Construction, Attention to Detail, Most Innovative, and Best In Show.