This free program allows artistically inclined high school students from the Tampa Bay area to learn the fundamentals of design, construction and runway presentation from experienced artists and designers. Through nontraditional materials, students are invited to think creatively to produce wearable works of art that translate from sketch to runway.
2024 Program Details
For the past seven years, The Dalí Museum has partnered with Pinellas County Center for the Arts (PCCA) at Gibbs High School on Fashion Design at The Dalí, a free program for Tampa Bay area high school students. This year, we will be taking some time to reimagine the Fashion Design at The Dalí program to broaden the reach of all educational programs at the Museum. As a result, we will not be accepting applications for 2024-25.
Because The Dalí is dedicated to bringing free experiences to local students with diverse artistic interests, in the interim, the Museum has invited previous award-winning Fashion Design at The Dalí students to participate in a condensed form of the program. Four rising seniors will select works of art from The Dalí Museum’s permanent collection to align with the theme “100 Years of Surrealism,” in which students will draw on the past century of surreal influence in fashion. In the winter, their complete works will be on display for up-close viewing opportunities. This interim program continues to stand for what we value: empowering and inspiring creative thinking and exploration.
We thank our generous sponsors and enthusiastic community members for their dedication and support of this program. We look forward to the future of Fashion Design at The Dalí as we continue to serve our community through transformative Dalí-inspired events, exhibits and experiences.
Explore the 2023-24 Fashion Design at The Dalí Online Exhibit
See Photos of 2023-24 Fashion Design at The Dalí Creations
Explore the 2022-23 Fashion Design at The Dalí Online Exhibit
See Photos of 2022-23 Fashion Design at The Dalí Creations
Explore the 2021-22 Fashion Design at The Dalí Online Exhibit
See Photos of the 2021-22 Fashion Design at The Dalí Creations
Explore the 2020-21 Fashion Design at The Dalí Online Exhibit
See Photos of 2019-20 Fashion Design at The Dalí Creations
See Photos of 2018-19 Fashion Design at The Dalí Creations
See Photos of 2017-18 Fashion Design at The Dalí Creations
FAQs
How will I know if my application has been accepted?
Accepted students will be notified via email by September 2. Accepted students must confirm their spot in the program by replying to that email by end-of-day September 5. Students who have not confirmed their spot by September 8 will be removed from the program.
Why are references required with my application and how do I get them?
References from a teacher, mentor, coach or other trusted adult are required with your application. A reference is like a recommendation for you to join the program; they help advocate for your level of responsibility and dedication for a rigorous program like this one.
To get a reference, ask an adult who has worked closely with you in the past to provide their email address and phone number. They should then email a letter of recommendation to sayad@thedali.org. Students whose references have sent a letter of recommendation will be given priority acceptance to the program. Parents are unable to serve as a reference unless a student is homeschooled. Trish Donnelly and Sumaya Ayad are also unable to serve as references for the program.
What happens at each session?
Accepted students will receive a schedule with an outline containing weekly focus topics and due dates. Some session topics include Draping and Patterns 101 and Runway Coaching. Most sessions are held from 10am-1pm on Sunday in the PCCA Costume Workshop with some taking place offsite at the Dalí Museum, Neiman Marcus and other stores and design centers.
Some sessions will include guest speakers from various areas and industries or begin with a formal class and end of worktime. Others have no class and are solely an open studio day. Each session varies and students should be prepared for a variety of structures.
What happens at the fashion show?
The day of the fashion show is jam-packed. Students have the option to add finishing touches to their designs on the morning of the fashion show. All students must be present by 1pm for a 6pm show time. In the 5 hours between mandatory arrival and start of show, students have runway and dress rehearsals, do their hair and makeup and go through an interview process with the judges.
Is attendance mandatory?
Yes—student designers are required to attend each session of the program. A total of 3 absences will be allowed before a student is removed from the program. Tardiness of 10 minutes or more (for arrival or departure) will result in half an absence. A total of 6 tardies will result in the removal of a student from the program. Students are expected to be at the door at 10am and are expected to leave campus at 1pm.
How are prizes awarded?
Judges from various industries and skillsets volunteer to adjudicate the designs created in each year’s iteration of Fashion Design at The Dalí. Prior to the fashion show, judges visit regular sessions to observe and speak with student designers. Judges are also briefed by the Program Manager on the progress of each student. They read student artist statements, view their rendering and learn about each student’s inspiration pieces to fully inform their judging process.
At the fashion show, judges conduct interviews with the students and make the final determination for awards in the following categories: Best Rendering, Best Artist Statement, Best Interpretation of Dalí Artwork, Most Wearable, Most Cohesive Presentation, Best Connection to Theme, Most Original in Design, Best Construction of Design, Most Sustainable Use of Materials and Best Overall Design. Check out the Online Exhibitions linked above to see previous student designs.
About the Instructor:
Patricia (Trish) Donnelly, PCCA Design Technology, Costume Design
Trish Donnelly is the Department Chair of the Design Technology Theatre Department at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. She serves as the costume and stage makeup designer and instructor for the program. In addition to her educational work, Trish designs for professional theater and private commissions. Her costume design work was most recently seen in the American Stage Theatre Company’s production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night and during the 2017 Gasparilla Pirate Festival.
Trish received her Associate of Arts from Florida State University and went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. At Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN, she completed advanced classes in the study of Fiber Arts. Trish has also completed intensive classes in Stage, TV, Film and Historic Makeup Design at the London College of Fashion in London, England as the result of receiving a Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship.
Trish was awarded the Tampa Bay 2012 Jeff Norton Outstanding Costume Design for her Rocky Horror Show design for the American Stage Theatre Company. Trish also received the 2014 Florida Theatre Conference Award of Outstanding Contribution to Florida’s Theatre in High Schools.
Trish is joining Fashion Design at The Dalí as Program Instructor for the sixth year in a row. She has served as instructor for the program since its inception.
Thank you to our program sponsors:
