FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2026 Runway Show at the Rio Theatre — April 24

Celebrate the creativity of Santa Cruz County students (Grades 6–12) at this one-night runway event featuring original, upcycled wearable art and student-designed fashion.

Reserve Your Tickets

Free event • Seating is limited • Advance reservations required

Event Details

  • Date: April 24, 2026

  • Time: 6:30 PM

  • Location: Rio Theatre, Santa Cruz

  • Who: Santa Cruz County middle & high school students

  • Admission: Free (ticket required)

Reserve Your Ticket
FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model wearing a black dress with multiple purses and bags attached, representing the unseen emotional baggage people carry, displayed as part of a wearable art design.

Support FashionTeens Santa Cruz

FashionTeens is made possible through community support, sponsorships, and donations. If you’d like to contribute, donations are always appreciated—but never required to attend the show.

Every donation goes directly toward supporting the FashionTeens program, helping cover materials, mentorship, and future opportunities for students across Santa Cruz County.

Donate to FashionTeens

OR

Venmo: @afeparentclub

Please include a note that your donation is for FashionTeens so it is properly allocated through our fiscal sponsor, AFE Parent Club.

About FashionTeens

FashionTeens is a Santa Cruz County program that empowers middle and high school students to design and create wearable art using recycled and unconventional materials. Students gain confidence, mentorship, and real-world experience while showcasing their work on a professional runway.

About Us

Behind the Runway — Student Stories from FashionTeens Santa Cruz

Hear directly from students about what FashionTeens means to them and how the program builds creativity, confidence, and community.

FashionTeens 2025 Official Runway Production

Get Involved with FashionTeens

Want to support student creativity in Santa Cruz County? Become a mentor, volunteer, or community partner.

Get Involved

FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2025 show

  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student runway look inspired by ocean awareness, designed as a jellyfish with a large hat decorated with hanging cans and trash to highlight pollution and sustainability
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model wearing a gown made from 20 pairs of thrifted denim jeans, inspired by Marie Antoinette, on the runway
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student wearing an upcycled satin dress with tulle and embellishments, carrying an umbrella covered in twinkle lights for a magical, ethereal runway look
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student runway design inspired by Balenciaga, featuring extra wide jeans made from upcycled denim with repurposed sweatshirts and rhinestone details
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model showcasing an upcycled ocean-awareness design on the runway, part of a sustainable youth fashion show
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model wearing a red feather boa and a glowing headpiece topped with a miniature light-up house. Photographed during the 2025 runway event, showcasing whimsical, conceptual student fashion.
  • Student model poses on the FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2025 runway in a dramatic handmade gown featuring a velvet bodice and cascading ombré organza layers in purple, blue, yellow, and ivory tones, showcasing artistic upcycled fashion design.
  • Three FashionTeens Santa Cruz student designers joyfully kick up their heels on the runway in handmade upcycled dresses embellished with tulle, recycled materials, and creative sparkle—showcasing fun, friendship, and sustainable fashion in motion.
  • Student designer walks the FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2025 runway in a handmade ocean-inspired gown featuring layered blue and teal tulle and a sequined bodice, evoking waves and coastal elegance.
  • Two middle school student designers walk the FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2025 runway in playful upcycled outfits featuring bottle caps, denim scraps, and repurposed embellishments, showcasing youth creativity and sustainable fashion.
  • Student model poses on the FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2025 runway wearing a retro-inspired outfit featuring a blue bubble wrap skirt and matching hat, highlighting creative reuse of materials in youth-designed sustainable fashion.
  • Teen designer walks the FashionTeens Santa Cruz 2025 runway in a bold asymmetrical black dress with a triangle cutout, accessorized with fingerless gloves, headphones, and combat boots—channeling edgy, upcycled streetwear style.
  • Two FashionTeens Santa Cruz student designers perform a playful, theatrical runway moment—one in a dramatic red ballgown and gloves, the other in a floral upcycled ensemble with a bold flower crown and ribbon wand—blending fashion, storytelling, and
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student designers celebrate at the end of the runway show—laughing, holding flowers, and clapping in colorful, upcycled creations as the audience applauds their creativity and collaboration.
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student designer walks the runway in a bold literary-inspired gown made from pages of books and paper, paired with a dramatic red and black bodice and gloves.
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model beams on the runway in a whimsical, upcycled dress adorned with fabric flowers, rainbow striped tights, and playful accessories.
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model smiles confidently in a dramatic black upcycled outfit with lace tights and large hand-crafted butterfly wings, capturing the spirit of transformation and creativity.
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student model dressed in a whimsical, mushroom-inspired look featuring a giant handmade mushroom cap hat, forest-toned cape, and boots — channeling nature, storytelling, and imaginative upcycled design.
  • FashionTeens Santa Cruz student designer models a sky-blue upcycled gown adorned with handmade blossoms and organic branch detailing, evoking nature and springtime renewal through wearable art.

Interested in Participating Next Year?

Applications for the 2027 FashionTeens program will open in the fall.