The recent fall 2025 collections were rife with retro references, specifically from the ‘80s, so it’s only fitting that LIM college would examine the cyclical nature of fashion for its 80th anniversary showcase.
Held Friday at the Glasshouse on Manhattan’s West Side, this year’s “Timeless Threads” event unfurled in eight segments, either reinterpreting trends from past decades or speaking to those that have endured. “The Art of the Dandy” opened, giving way to “Retro Revival, “Renovated Runway,” “Tomorrow Today” and “Luxe Redux.”
“Y2K Couture” was the only student-designed segment, while the others featured pieces on loan from New York designers Chris Mena, LaTouché, Mondo Guerra, Nicole Fedner, Rinat Brodach and Nicole Miller, whose archival eveningwear appeared in the finale, “Classic Glamor.”
Unlike design school presentations where clothes are the star, at LIM’s they’re secondary to production value as students are tasked with planning and producing everything necessary to get them down the catwalk.
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“People go to a fashion show and they see 25 or 30 minutes of glitz and glamour, and they don’t really understand the hard work that goes on for months in advance to make that moment of magic reality,” LIM president Ron Marshall said backstage.
“The way our fashion show is organized, it really gives our students an opportunity outside of the classroom to understand the pressure that goes into this,” he continued. “And there’s nobody better to do that than Nicole.”
Marshall, of course, was referring to Miller. A LIM-presenting sponsor, the designer also served as a mentor to students throughout the academic year. Miller took to the stage before the show and commended them for undertaking the “Timeless Threads” project.
“Their dedication is even more impressive, considering this was not for class credit, but rather entirely voluntary, and yet they didn’t sacrifice any effort to make this night truly special,” Miller said.
She went on to note fashion is a competitive industry that requires not only talent, but commitment. “The hands-on experience the students gain tonight will serve them well in their careers, and their work ethic proves they are destined for success,” she continued.
After Miller exited, $1,500 scholarship grants from the LIM Fashion Education Foundation were awarded to two first-year students, Kelly Gonzales and Shruti Jupudi, chosen by faculty for their hard work.
Pantone, a cosponsor of the evening, also gave out two awards centered around color excellence. “Artistry in Color,” which recognizes a team behind the scenes, went to the LIM student stylists, while “Mastery of Color,” which recognizes a single designer for their use of Pantone’s 2024 color of the year “Mocha Mousse,” went to Juliette Zamora.
Her look, a mocha-hued trumpet skirt and raspberry pink corset top, “created a perfect balance of luxury and indulgence, like a layered dessert you want to melt into,” remarked Tannese Williams, Pantone’s head of product and marketing development.
It was modeled by a student who shared the runway with New York Jets football lineback Quincy Williams and Alyssa Sullivan, a non-Hodgkin lymphoma survivor. Sullivan was wearing a wig cap provided by LIM’s charity partner, the Verma Foundation, which provides them to patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment. Other supporters for this year’s show included Betsy Johnson, Steve Madden, Authentic Brands Group and Dylan’s Candy Bar.
