SCAD fashion 2026 showcases largest graduating class in school history

Savannah College of Art and Design celebrated the largest graduating class in the history of its School of Fashion this month during SCAD Fashion 2026, a multi-day showcase highlighting the work of emerging fashion designers from the university’s Atlanta and Savannah campuses.

The annual event culminated in a runway presentation at the SCAD Museum of Art featuring more than 60 student designers and nearly 200 looks, according to local media reports and university statements.

The showcase reflected the continued expansion of SCAD’s fashion programmes, which include degrees in fashion design, accessory design, fashion marketing and management, fibers, jewelry, and sneaker design. University officials described the 2026 graduating cohort as the school’s largest to date and emphasized the diversity of creative approaches represented on the runway.

According to Dirk Standen, the collections shared a strong emphasis on storytelling and experimentation, with students already building professional visibility before graduation through celebrity placements, social media exposure, and independent production runs.

The runway presentation included mentorship collaborations with Peter Copping, artistic director of Lanvin, who worked with students on eveningwear collections presented during the show. Supermodel Coco Rocha also participated by coaching student models and opening the runway presentation.

Student collections explored a broad range of themes and cultural references. According to fashion publication Fashionista, projects included collections inspired by Victorian aesthetics, migration, Swedish folklore, South Korean political protests, and family experiences surrounding Hurricane Katrina.

The 2026 edition also introduced BAZAAR by shopSCAD, a new retail initiative showcasing limited-run fashion, jewelry, and accessories produced by SCAD students and alumni. University officials said selected runway collections would become available through the platform following the show.

SCAD has increasingly positioned itself as a major fashion education institution despite operating outside traditional fashion capitals such as New York, Paris, Milan, and London. The university has received industry recognition in recent years for its design and fashion programmes, including rankings that place it among leading art and design schools internationally.

The event took place ahead of the university’s 2026 commencement ceremonies, where British fashion designer Stella McCartney is scheduled to serve as commencement speaker.