Columbia College Chicago’s Fashion Association brought back its student styling competition, Project Styling, for a second year on May 6, turning the eighth floor of 1104 S. Wabash Ave. into a live showcase built around a 90s Revival theme. Five contestants took part this year, and the event reached beyond Columbia students to include faculty, staff, Chicago neighbors, and industry professionals.
What happened at Project Styling
The event was inspired by Project Runway, but it focused on styling rather than design or merchandising. Rachel Jimenez Penca, a part-time instructor in the School of Fashion, and junior fashion studies major Galaxy Wolf created Project Styling to give student stylists a public stage for their work. Organizers said styling is often overlooked inside the broader fashion industry, even though it plays a major role in how looks are built and presented.
Students were judged on three main points: clear concept, creativity and innovation, and styling execution. The judging panel included Brandon Frein, a part-time instructor and internationally published wardrobe stylist, along with Columbia alums Paige Berndt and Josh Ray. After judging at each station, the event moved to Film Row Cinema, where contestants explained the ideas behind their looks to the audience.
Background: why Columbia built space for styling
The School of Fashion at Columbia College Chicago puts hands-on learning at the center of its program. Its website says students learn fashion through corporate competitions, real client work, internships, and collaborative projects. The school also offers a Fashion Styling minor, which includes editorial styling, personal wardrobing, costuming, and work with other creative fields such as photography, cinema, television, and theater.
CCFA describes itself as a space for students of all backgrounds to share and create around fashion and community. The group says it is centered on education and giving back, and its membership benefits include networking, hands-on work, portfolio growth, and building industry relationships. That mission fits Project Styling well, since the event is built around student work, public presentation, and direct feedback.
Why this matters right now
Project Styling matters because it gives students something many classroom settings cannot: a live test of how their ideas land in front of an audience. Frein said styling cannot be fully taught in a classroom and needs hands-on experience. That point lines up with Columbia’s own fashion program, which stresses real-world projects, industry exposure, and collaboration across creative disciplines.
The event also reflects a larger shift in how younger people engage with fashion. Wolf said the 1990s have returned as a major reference point for younger generations, which helped make the 90s Revival theme feel current rather than nostalgic for nostalgia’s sake. In the show, contestants pulled from grunge, Chicana style, hip hop, and runway history, showing how one decade can be read in many different ways.
Expert view from the judges
The strongest insight from the event came from the judges themselves. Frein said the value of Project Styling is the chance to practice in front of others and work in a setting that feels closer to the industry than a classroom assignment. Berndt added that she wished a similar opportunity had existed when she was a student, which suggests the event fills a gap that many fashion programs still leave open.
That kind of feedback matters because styling depends on judgment, speed, and the ability to build a clear idea into a finished look. Columbia’s fashion program says students should gain professional skills in marketing, technology, analytics, and design, while also working with others on projects that mirror the industry. Project Styling gives that promise a public form.
Public reaction and likely impact
This year’s event appears to have widened its reach. The first Project Styling, held last year at The Rack on 916 S. Wabash Ave., drew such a large turnout that the room overflowed into the lobby, according to Jimenez Penca. That response helped push the second edition into a larger space and a broader audience.
The competition also gave students a chance to show the range of ideas inside styling. Winner Riley McGuire, a junior fine arts major and fashion styling minor, leaned into 90s grunge and won a photoshoot, VIP tickets to Chicago Fashion Week’s stylist symposium, and a gift card from a vintage clothing store. Other contestants drew from Vivienne Westwood, 90s hip hop, and Mexican American Chicana style. That mix shows how styling can blend research, identity, and personal taste in one live presentation.
What happens next
Project Styling seems likely to keep growing if student interest stays strong. The event moved from a packed shop space last year to a larger floor this year, and it opened its doors to a wider mix of attendees. Based on that pattern, the competition could keep becoming a bigger networking and portfolio-building stop for Columbia fashion students. That is an inference from the event’s expansion and the organizers’ goals, not a confirmed plan.
For students like Chloe Boehm and Clarissa Torres, the event also worked as a bridge to the industry. Boehm said the chance to meet professionals matters because it helps young stylists build connections early. Torres said she has styled since childhood and found the event through Columbia a La Mode, which suggests CCFA’s network can help surface student talent that might otherwise stay hidden.
Common misunderstandings and wrong claims
One common mistake is treating styling as the same thing as fashion design. Columbia’s reporting and school materials make the difference clear: design, merchandising, and styling are related, but they are separate skills with different goals. Project Styling was created to show that distinction in a live setting.
Another wrong claim would be that the event was just a runway show. It was closer to a live styling competition with a judging process, live models, audience explanation, and clear scoring criteria. The students had to build a concept, show creativity, and present the full look with purpose.
A timely step for student fashion culture
Project Styling gave Columbia students a chance to turn class skills into public work. It also showed how fashion education can move past theory and into real practice, where ideas have to stand up in front of an audience. For a student-run event, that is a strong sign of reach, confidence, and growth.
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