Art School Anthropology: My Experience at SCAD Fashion 2026
Written by Sarah Walker. Visuals by Sarah Walker.
“Oh my god…I love your outfit.”
“Thanks, I made it!”
While waiting in line for SCAD Fashion 2026, the group of extravagantly accessorized fashion students grew behind me. Adorned with handmade bangles and skirts, sharp winged liner and slicked-back hair, they made me acutely aware of how incredibly out of place I felt, and I wondered how many hobbies I’d need to take up to get on their level. Knitting, sewing, or metalworking? Maybe all three?
I observed the giddy conversations, flowing compliments, and an overwhelming mix of clashing perfume notes around me and Edie Manfred, Opinions Editor for SCAD Connector. We turned to each other and declared the insanity of the privilege of covering a runway show while in undergrad, but also joked about what a great opportunity for anthropology it was. Who knew that this would be the ultimate place to people-watch?
Before the show started, we photographed the runway models while they got ready. Professional hair and makeup teams crowded the art history classrooms on the second floor of the SCAD Museum of Art, creating elaborate works of art on the faces of SCAD student models.
The wall I’d once leaned against during a particularly long freshman-year lecture was now home to the most extensive collection of eyeshadow palettes I’d ever seen in person. Piles of extensions and clip-ins covered the center tables until there was no surface area visible beneath them. Heaps of hot-tool cords tangled together, cascading off the side of work stations. There was a certain organized chaos that created an intricate and magical feeling. Production assistants anxiously stood by the doors, directing the traffic of the upstairs hallway.
There was a certain organized chaos that created an intricate and magical feeling. Production assistants anxiously stood by the doors, directing the traffic of the upstairs hallway.
When the time came for the runway show, we claimed our seats in the student media section, positioned at the perfect corner to capture each model as they turned to exit the runway. Dozens of cameras and hundreds of eyes fixed themselves to each individual (and their ensemble) as they walked with confidence and purpose. Above the crowd hung “Noli Timere,” an experimental installation by sculpture artist Janet Echelman. Its colorful netted fibers were illuminated by programmed LED lighting, which added a cohesive elegance to the already elevated event.
I became entranced with the differences in each model’s walk, remembering I’d seen on Instagram that Canadian fashion model Coco Rocha had mentored the students during rehearsal. Each model had a unique sway to their hips, a rhythm that seemed to match what they were wearing, their expression, the background track, and the energy of the crowd leaning in.
For the next 45 minutes, all I did was shoot. It was as if my camera had become a separate, uncontrollable offshoot of myself—an entity with a mind of its own. I shot instinctively in reaction to the amazement I felt at the abundance of talent whirring past me. Everything from knitwear vests to embroidered capes had their moment to shine, with three-piece collections from 60 graduating students on display. Each collection told a story, many inspired by personal narratives explored by their designer.
As I left the SCAD Museum of Art that night, I stopped briefly in the bathroom near the alumni gallery. While washing my hands, I couldn’t help but overhear the conversation of two SCAD juniors in the fashion department. They spoke loudly while drying their hands, trying to overpower the noise of the Dyson dryer as it rattled away.
“Can you believe next year that could be us?”
“Could be? Will be!”
