FIDM DEBUT.....FIDM DEBUT Runway Show: The Photo Recap!

The "New" FIDM DEBUT SHOW--Models in designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion graduates, FIDM DEBUT 2020 Show, Cooper Design Space Downtown L.A.

Every year, around March, is when the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising/FIDM holds its PREMIER Fashion Show Extravaganza, the DEBUT Show. The DEBUT Show involves the culmination of work from graduates from the FIDM Advanced Fashion Design Program as well as students in the Theatre Costume Design Program. It is their chance to show their work on a grand stage. The show has taken place at Santa Monica's Barker Hangar for many years, involving a production worthy of a major Hollywood film or TV show--with over 40 models, producers, directors, choreographers, dancers, make-up and hair, dressers...hundreds of people. 

Guess what happened last March right as we were getting ready to start the production for the 2020 edition? California enacted a lock-down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. As Co-Chairs of the FIDM Fashion Design Department, David Paul and myself, as well as the college directors, decided that we had to cancel, or better said, "postpone" the show until further notice. The students were devastated as you can imagine yet there was nothing we could do. This also happened to many other top design schools that normally would also be holding their Graduate Fashion Shows; all were canceled across the U.S. and internationally. We spent the next 10 months waiting for a chance...a window of opportunity to somehow put the show on. But how? 

Cooper Design Space Downtown Los Angeles--During November of 2020, after looking at many, many spaces and runway show ideas (Digital? Virtual?), we came upon an amazing space in Downtown L.A. on the 11th floor of the Cooper Building. It offered lots of space (for runway/social distancing) and a great industrial/large loft look. After minimizing the models, Covid-safety protocols, and lots of production ZOOM meetings...we did it!

Many THANK YOU's to the Cooper Building/Cooper Design Space; Barbara Bundy VP of Education/FIDM and Executive Producer of the FIDM DEBUT Show; Gene LeBrock, Executive Director of FIDM Productions, Chair of FIDM Digital Cinema Program, and Producer of the FIDM DEBUT Show; Susan Koziak Productions, Choreographer of the FIDM DEBUT Show, and LA Models.

Here is my BLOG PHOTO ALBUM RECAP of the FIDM DEBUT Show:

First, we did Virtual Fittings:

Fittings Via ZOOM--Model Selena in design by FIDM graduate Sakura Mizutani--FIDM Museum

All Hands On Deck--FIDM Fashion Design Co-Chair David Paul (left photo, on the right) and Alterations Expert and FIDM Instructor, Designer Tomy Huang, during Virtual Fittings for FIDM DEBUT Show 2020--FIDM Museum

Lower right photo by Whitney Sutherland

Fashion Fittings--Models during FIDM DEBUT 2020 Virtual Fittings--FIDM Museum

Turandot Fittings--Models during Theatre Costume "Turandot" Opera Costumes Virtual Fittings for FIDM DEBUT 2020--FIDM Museum

Behind The Scenes...of filming the Virtual FIDM DEBUT RUNWAY SHOW:

Production Set-Up--Cooper Design Building, 11th Floor Downtown L.A.

Rehearsal Time--Models and FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Designer Sakura Mizutani, during FIDM DEBUT 2020 rehearsals--Cooper Design Building, 11th Floor Downtown L.A.

The SHOW:

MC's--FIDM Fashion Design, Advanced Fashion Design, Theatre Costume Design, and Film & TV Costume Design Co-Chairs David Paul and Nick Verreos, introducing the FIDM DEBUT 2020 Show--Cooper Design Building 11th Floor Downtown L.A.

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

First up: Theatre Costume--Inspired by the Puccini opera "Turandot":

Turandot Opera Costumes--FIDM DEBUT 2020 Theatre Costume

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs by FIDM DEBUT 2020 Theatre Costume Graduate Devert Monet Hickman

                                                          Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs by FIDM DEBUT 2020 Theatre Costume Graduate Hailey Norsworthy

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

                    Designs by FIDM DEBUT 2020 Theatre Costume Graduate Julia Neumann

                                                          Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs by FIDM DEBUT 2020 Theatre Costume Graduate Daniel Lim

                                                         Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Collections: Here are photos from the ten FASHION collections shown at the Virtual FIDM DEBUT Show

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Andrea Alarcon--FIDM DEBUT 2020

                                                             Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Brenda Soehendra--FIDM DEBUT 2020

                                         All photos except the lower one (above) by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Delaney Poe--FIDM DEBUT 2020

All photos except for the lower one (above) by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Luis Mejia--FIDM DEBUT 2020

                                                           Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Maryam Varshochi--FIDM DEBUT 2020

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Meiliani Tjia--FIDM DEBUT 2020

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Nadya Tymkowycz--FIDM DEBUT 2020

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Robin Giles--FIDM DEBUT 2020

All photos except the lower one (above) by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study in Fashion Design Graduate Sakura Mizutani--FIDM DEBUT 2020

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Designs from FIDM Advanced Study on Fashion Design Graduate Scarlett Dyer--FIDM DEBUT 2020

Photos by Whitney Sutherland

Watch the entire FIDM DEBUT show here: