Skyline senior Zy’Reaya Peoples works on a yellow dress, inspired by Cleo de Nile from the Monster High series. The pieces for the upcoming fashion show are modeled after their favorite childhood dolls.
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
A visit to her aunt’s tailoring shop sparked something in Lizbeth Lopez, then six-years-old. The cluttered space resembled a lab of sorts, where mixing textures and threads was the experiment.
In the budding fashionista’s brain, a thought sprouted: “This is what I want to do.” She drew funds from a secret benefactor (grandma) to buy drawing pads. Then, she put her pen to the paper, churning out heaps upon heaps of sketches over the years.
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Now, three of her designs are pinned on a bulletin board in the back of a Skyline High School classroom.
In one drawing, a magenta mini dress with a cape drapes over a model. In another, a baby pink corset pairs with a periwinkle ruffled skirt. And finally, a mahogany halter top hugs a model’s hips.
Her aunt has her “little lab,” but so does Lizbeth. In this vast classroom, sewing machines whirl, rolls of fabric sprawl across tables, and unfinished clothes lie atop mannequins. It’s a place where Lizbeth can finally turn those creative visions – once etched on paper – to life.
A creative board greets students and staff that arrive to Skyline High’s fashion program.
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
In late March, Lizbeth and her classmates were wrapping up designing and sewing pieces for their senior capstone projects – the culmination of four years in Skyline’s fashion program. It is the only Texas high school offering a four-year track in fashion. On Thursday night, models will strut down the runway, donning the students’ finished handiwork.
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“I’m sewing a corset right now, and I just know what I’m doing,” Lizbeth said, smiling as she examined the satin fabric between her fingers. To maintain the piece’s structural integrity, she stitched several layers of cloth together, from lining to boning.
Finishing the piece required a little backup from her teacher Jennifer Stanley-Guerra, who guides the aspiring designers from their freshman year through their senior year.
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When she’s not managing a classroom, Stanley-Guerra designs clothes for her own brand, jen•ley. She draws inspiration from female empowerment, and has created lines focusing on domestic violence awareness, women in politics and motherhood.
Just as she has her own influences, Stanley-Guerra tries to pinpoint what motivates her students. What are they passionate about? What’s their story?
“[It’s] rewarding when everything clicks into place – for students to see their journey was worth the end product,” she said.
Turning fashion passions into fashion careers
Students come into the program with a passion for fashion. For many, that passion follows them after they leave. One student hopes to study law in relation to fashion, and others plan to attend a university to hone their craft.
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Principal Joseph Pouncy graduated from the program in 1996. Leaning forward in a black arm chair, in his principal’s office, he reminisced about his high school years.
Those were the days of Cross Colours, Girbaud Jeans and Jordans. Nowadays, he’s more of a green polo and khakis kind of guy.
Skyline principal Joseph Pouncy graduated from the fashion program in the 90s. He pushed for the program to include a larger business focus.
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
He just has one request: “Just don’t ask me to sew a button.”
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In the past, the fashion program focused on tailoring, so when Pouncy took helm, he sought to emphasize business, too. That’s why Stanley-Guerra teaches both fashion and marketing students.
The goal of the school, he said, is to produce “the next generation of the workforce.”
The state is aiming to get students ready to fulfill the region’s workforce needs. As competition for jobs intensifies, the state set an ambitious goal: by 2030, at least 60% of Texans from ages 25 to 34 should have a certificate or degree. By 2031, about 63% of Texas jobs will require some postsecondary education and training beyond high school, according to a report by Georgetown University.
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“It’s about exposing students to things that they may not have the opportunity to be exposed to,” Pouncy said.
Senior Thalia Rocha, a student in the marketing cluster, said that during her four years, she’s gained confidence in public speaking – even competing in high school business competitions.
“Even if we don’t stick with fashion, we can still be career ready,” Thalia said.
As for Thursday night, don’t expect to see Pouncy strutting down the runway – but the principal will be there in the crowd, showing his support.
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Just as the football coach has a football game, he said, a fashion teacher has a fashion show.
“That’s her game day,” Pouncy said. “I want to see game day.”
All dolled up for the show
This year’s show is centered around childhood dolls – ranging from the big-haired, sparkly Bratz dolls to the button-eyed, charming Lalaloopsy dolls. Clothing inspired by dolls is making waves in the fashion world, Stanley-Guerra said.
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This morning, senior Zy’Reaya Peoples was fine tuning one of her creations: a long yellow dress made out of a slippery, velvet material.
Her muse? A doll from the Monster High show: Cleo de Nile, a mummy with a fiery personality.
When Zy’Reaya has down time, she visits the classroom to work on her designs. She compared sewing to “solving a puzzle.”
“It’s like getting caught in a trance,” she said. “Nothing can distract you. Nothing can pull you away from what you’re doing at that moment.”
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Thursday’s fashion show will be a collective effort across the school. Graphic design students created the flashy signage. Floral and horticulture students built a balloon arch. Construction students stabilized the platform.
Skyline junior Landen Willis created this denim ensemble. The students designs will be on display during a fashion show on April 2.
Tom Fox/Staff Photographer
Since freshman year, Zy’Reaya has observed the “frustration, the commitment, all the mixed emotions” required of the show. She dreamed of her own senior year – when, finally, it would be her time to shine.
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“Those past three years built me up to this moment,” she said.
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