Fashion Forward Event Is Tomorrow With Celeb Judges

Kara Saun, “Project Runway Season One” stand-out, fashion design Phenom and costume designer for the epic Disney Channel movie “Descendants,” directed by Kenny Ortega and starring Dove Cameron, will judge The Junior League of Las Vegas’ (JLLV) popular annual design challenge, “Fashion Forward,” on Saturday, April 2, at 2 p.m. at Fashion Show Mall.

Sixty Clark County high school students have been designing, for months, to compete in this year’s final challenge and public fashion show, in which talented students will present and model their one-of-a-kind designs to Kara Saun, referred to as the “Fashion FairyGodmother” and an esteemed panel of judges, in hopes of winning amazing prize packages.  Also on hand to assist Kara Saun in awarding the top three student design talents with special Fashion FairyGodmother Design Awards, including a Kara Saun Design Internship and a treasure chest of design goodies and gift cards, is Las Vegas’ very own “Lindsey Girls”- Ashlyn and Juliana Lindsey, Kara Saun’s Jr. Design Mentees and Protégés, who will be featured in the upcoming Fashion FairyGodmother YouTube Channel series.

More than 200 high school students began the competition last fall—from nine schools, including Las Vegas Academy, Southwest Career and Technical Academy, West Preparatory, Rancho, Las Vegas, East Career and Technical Academy, Sunrise, Green Valley and Centennial. But now only 60 remain, following a challenging elimination round that tasked the young designers twofold with (a) creating a muslin dress to showcase their sewing skills and (b) developing an original runway sketch inspired by one of ten select international cities: Reykjavik, Auckland, Hanoi, Buenos Aires, Istanbul, New Orleans, Nairobi, Havana, Berlin and Mexico City.

Now in its eighth year, Fashion Forward aims to enhance the education of local design and fashion students and gives aspiring designers in Clark County high schools the opportunity to showcase their designs in a public setting. In December, 60 student-designers graduated to the final round and were generously provided with fabric by Fashion Forward sponsors Star Costume and Theatrical Supply and owner Marc Salls; each student also received a $25 VISA gift card donated by JLLV—all necessary materials needed to bring to life a complete “Passport to Fashion” ensemble from the students’ original elimination-round sketches.

Students will grade students on neatness of construction, design of garment, appropriate fit and relevancy to their assigned international city.

Tickets for Fashion Forward are now on sale and may be purchased online by visiting www.jllv.org/estore.  General admission tickets are available for $40; VIP tickets, which includes champagne during the exclusive pre-show soiree, front row seating and a special swag bag, and priority seating, are available for $80.