Important Dates
- Fashion Show, Fittings/Photoshoot
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 -
Fashion Show
Thursday, May 7, 2026
- Fall Course Design Deadline (Award Eligibility)
Wednesday, December 17, 2025, before 9 a.m. - Senior Collection – Independent Study Additions Deadline (Show Inclusion Only)
Friday, April 27, 2026 - Spring Course Design Deadline (Award Eligibility)
Tuesday, May 5, 2026, before Noon
-
Spring Course Design Deadline (Award Eligibility)
The UofCLC – New York Fashion Week Experience Award* is awarded to the first-place winner of the Transformation design created in FDM 350.
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 — before Noon -
Final Submission Deadline (Show Inclusion Only)
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 — before Noon
Eligibility
For Fashion Show Design Awards and the UofCLC College Licensing Collegiate Experience*: Students must be declared Fashion Design and Merchandising (FDM) majors; minors and non-majors are not eligible. Award consideration also requires that designs be completed within a course taught by the FDM instructor of record and submitted following the deadlines and criteria established for that course. All designs must meet the established project requirements to qualify.
Only students who meet these eligibility requirements will be considered for awards. In addition, eligible students are required to volunteer at both the fittings/photoshoot and the Fashion Show and must be present during the event.
Please Note: Designs submitted after the course deadline may still be included in the Fashion Show if received by the instructor’s designated date; however, they will not be eligible for awards. Seniors who add pieces through a spring independent study course with the Senior Studio instructor may also present them in the show, but these additional works will not be considered for award recognition.
Awards
Award Jury: Awards are determined by an external panel of working professionals, and all jury decisions are final.
FDM 250 Project Outcomes
The Innovative in Creativity and Function Award honors students whose original designs transform foundational techniques into fresh, functional fashion. Recognized for balancing creativity with real-world wearability, the winning garment is crafted in woven fabric, incorporates a handcrafted or technology-based element, and reflects seasonal relevance. This award celebrates innovation that meets a contemporary female consumer's needs while showcasing creativity and technical skill.
- 1st Place - Innovation in Creativity and Function
- 2nd Place - Innovation in Creativity and Function
FDM 330 & 335 Project Outcomes
The Most Creative Expression Award honors students whose ensembles demonstrate exceptional imagination and craftsmanship. Inspired by assigned exhibitions (or other assigned inspiration sources), the winning design features a three-piece collection (a bifurcated garment, knit top, and jacket) that is both cohesive and versatile, with each piece able to stand alone. Incorporating a handcrafted element and course-based construction techniques, this award celebrates bold creativity, technical excellence, and the power of fashion as expressive artistry.
- 1st Place - Most Creative Expression
- 2nd Place - Most Creative Expression
FDM 350 Project Outcomes
The Most Unique Zero-Waste and Engineered Print Execution Award recognizes students who most convincingly integrate zero-waste patternmaking with innovative engineered print. Emphasizing tessellation-based layouts that tile pattern pieces to eliminate cutting waste, this award honors work that addresses pre-consumer waste at the pattern stage and demonstrates advanced spatial reasoning and problem-solving. Recipients show technical mastery in pattern efficiency, fit, and construction, while aligning digital print placement with structural and aesthetic goals, proving that sustainability can drive creativity. The award advances sustainable design scholarship and prepares designers to meet global sustainability challenges.
- 1st Place - Most Inventive Transformation, also will be awarded the UofCLC – New York Fashion Week Experience Award*
- 2nd Place- Most Inventive Transformation
FDM 350 Project Outcomes
The Most Inventive Transformation Award celebrates an eveningwear design that converts seamlessly between two or more fully realized looks without compromising fit or proportion. Students design, pattern, and construct a garment with reliable and repeatable transitions, using strategies such as modular or reversible elements, adjustable lengths, pleat releases, concealed fasteners, and controlled drape, with an emphasis on creativity, user-centered utility, and sustainability through extended use and styling versatility. Judging focuses on originality of the transformation concept, performance, and repeatability of the mechanism supported by strong pattern engineering and construction, maintained fit and mobility in each configuration, aesthetic cohesion narrative across all looks, and a thoughtful material strategy with professional finishing.
FDM 430 & 432 Project Outcomes
The Most Cohesive Collection Award honors the Senior Studio collection lineup that reads as one unified body of work. Judges evaluate a three- to six-look collection for a defined customer on concept clarity, consistent design language with purposeful variation, construction quality and fit, integration of materials and surface design, and styling and sequencing that create a clear narrative. It recognizes designers who sustain a focused vision with refined craftsmanship and technical proficiency.
- 1st Place- - Most Cohesive Collection
- 2nd Place- Most Cohesive Collection
Best In Show Collection Award
The Best in Show Collection Award is the highest honor for Senior Studio. It recognizes the three- to six-look lineup that delivers outstanding design excellence, innovation, and professional execution. The winning collection presents a clear concept and distinct point of view, reads as a cohesive narrative from first to last look, and achieves superior craft, fit, and finish. It demonstrates confident use of textiles and surface design, thoughtful styling and sequencing, and runway presence that elevates the concept.
Submission Details
-
Fall Course Design Deadline (Award Eligibility)
Wednesday, December 17, 2025 — before 9:00 a.m.- To be considered for a Fashion Show award, garments created in the fall semester design courses must be displayed on a dress form and accompanied by the corresponding design boards during the Fashion Design Students' Salon-Style Presentations.
- Seniors must complete 3 “looks” completed by the deadline above to be considered a collection and be considered for an award.
-
Senior Collection – Independent Study Additions Deadline (Show Inclusion Only)
Friday, April 27, 2026- Seniors may add pieces to their collection that were created during the fall semester if they enroll in a 3-credit independent study course in the spring with the Senior Studio professor.
- These additional pieces may be included in the Fashion Show alongside the portion of the collection developed in the fall; however, they are not eligible for award consideration as part of the collection.
-
Spring Course Design Deadline (Award Eligibility)
UofCLC College Licensing Collegiate Experience* is awarded to the first-place winner of the Transformation design created in FDM 350
Tuesday, May 5, 2026 — before 12:00 p.m. -
Final Submission Deadline (Show Inclusion Only)
Wednesday, May 6, 2026 — before 12:00 p.m.- Designs submitted after this deadline will not be included in the Fashion Show.
- Submissions meeting this deadline will be included in the show but will not be eligible for awards.
*Note: The UofCLC – New York Fashion Week Experience Award is an exclusive experiential learning honor made possible through a collaboration between WVU Brand & Licensing, IMG Fashion, and the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC). The program connects students from CLC-licensed universities with behind-the-scenes access to the fashion industry’s most influential seasonal runway events, providing professional photography assets to advance portfolio development and career pathways.