May 19, 2026 — Silver Needle Runway (SNR) 40 burned bright at the milestone 40th anniversary of the entirely student-run show, featuring a powerful production and jaw-dropping collections from senior fashion design majors.

32 senior fashion design majors presented their capsule collections during the event. Many of the collections were deeply personal, honoring family members, cultural heritage, identity, and sustainability through fashion. The show itself was produced by fashion merchandising majors and students in the Fashion Show Production class, led by Juan-Manuel Olivera-Silvera, Senior Professional Lecturer. The student team worked extensively behind the scenes, carefully coordinating every detail of the large-scale production.

“Being one of the student directors for the 40th Silver Needle Runway is a dream come true, and it validates all of the decisions I made coming into college,” said Curtis Rodriguez '26, the Student Director of Social & Digital Engagement. “When I came to Poughkeepsie for Admitted Students Weekend and learned about SNR, I knew I needed to come to this school.”

Before the runway show, McCann shimmered with passion and excitement as guests shopped the MPorium pop-up and flipped through the latest issue of Measure Magazine. MPorium saw an 4% sales increase over last year’s pop-up, while Measure experienced an impressive 25% increase in sales from last year’s launch.

Opening the show, Fashion Department Chair Rebecca Brown highlighted the experiential learning opportunities, like SNR, that define the Marist fashion program and prepare students for careers in the industry. “These experiences strengthen their professionalism, creativity, communication, critical thinking, and confidence as they prepare to make their mark on the fashion industry,” said Brown.

SNR40 raised tens of thousands of dollars for the Marist Fashion Scholarship Fund through ticket sales and donations.

This year’s theme, BURN, explored tensions between burnout and passion, and set the scene in the McCann Arena with dark red lighting and a live rock band, The Lot, to accompany the show.

“For the milestone 40th anniversary, BURN speaks to the intensity of the creative process, the pressure, persistence, reflection, and passion that transform an idea into something powerful,” Brown said. “It honors the energy that fuels our students and the legacy of a program that continues to move forward with purpose.”

 
Senior designers cheer on their classmates’ collections at the show. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

At the end of the night, Italian designer Francesca Liberatore honored the Student Designer of the Year, Oskar Villaseñor ’26. Oskar’s collection, Omitted, was inspired by Mexican dandyism—a style rooted in cultural pride, sharp tailoring, meticulous grooming, and defiant self-expression. This award is given to one of the Marist Fashion Design students for their outstanding work in their Senior Capstone collection.

“I honestly cannot believe I’m standing here. I remember being a freshman and thinking about this. I want to thank the faculty. I appreciate all the work you guys do with us, said Oskar. "I want to thank my family and all of my friends who came over from Mexico. And, most importantly, I want to thank my whole class—I want to share this award with you guys.”

 
Oskar Villaseñor ’26, Silver Needle Designer of the Year Awardee, with models (left) showcasing his Omitted collection. Photo by Nelson Echeverria/Marist University.

Meet the designers.

View the full show here.

Inside Marist student worker Kaelyn Schmidt ’27 contributed to this story.