Slay the Runway (2021- Present)

I co-founded Slay the Runway in 2021 with artist Elaine Waterman as a fashion design, performance, and sewing community for LGBTQIA+ teens. Now supported by CU Boulder’s Department of Media Studies, this two-week intensive workshop invited teens to design and produce work for a professionally staged runway show.

In the workshop, participants developed garments while also working with makeup artists, a DJ, and choreographers to build performances around their designs. Fashion becomes a tool for self-expression, identity formation, and collective visibility. The final event brings these elements together in a one-night runway show featuring original looks, performance, and drag, often hosted by Twirling Tech Goddess LeeLee James and featuring performances by local Ballroom Houses and queer performers.

The program has moved across sites as a way to build community through different institutional contexts and expand the reach of “safe spaces” in our community. It was hosted at CU Boulder from 2021 to 2022, at Boulder Public Library in 2023, and at the Dairy Arts Center in 2025, where it will return in 2027.

I have also presented this work in academic contexts, including the International Communication Association (ICA) conference and the College Art Association (CAA) conference in Chicago. In these settings, I framed Slay the Runway as a model for community-based arts practice, focusing on how collaboration, mentorship, and performance can support LGBTQIA+ youth.

The project has been featured in national and regional media, including Colorado Public Radio (CPR), NPR’s Morning Edition, and The Advocate, recognizing its impact as both an artistic and community-centered initiative