Clarence Student to Showcase Designs at Erie 1 BOCES Fashion Show

Students from across western New York, including Clarence High School senior Bella Marcaccio, will soon share their stylish fashion designs on the the runway for the Erie 1 BOCES FUSION ‘26 Fashion Show: Unification.

The show, which will take place at 7 p.m. on April 1 at Salvatore’s Italian Garden, 6461 Transit Rd, Depew, will showcase the work of Bella and 20 other high school fashion students from the region that are studying in the organization’s Fashion Design Technology program.. A major emphasis for this year’s show is the benefits of working together.

“It’s collaboration, which is what the real world is,” said Darlene Borchert, who teaches one of the program’s classrooms at the Calspan Career and Technical Education Center. “You can’t do it alone.”

For the event, students will create as many as ten different designs for the runway using skills developed during their time in the two-year program. One highlight for this year’s show will be an upcycled fashion piece made from neck ties and denim donated by teachers and staff members at Erie 1 BOCES.

Beyond the Fashion Design Technology, the show will receive support from students and staff from Erie 1 BOCES’ Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Virtual Production and Design and Virtual Production and Recording Arts programs. 

“From a planning standpoint, there are so many hands in for this project,” said Elizabeth Acevedo, who teaches the program to students at the Potter Career and Technical Education Center. “We’ve had teachers from across our buildings show up to help us out. You see students from all different classes help model and help out backstage. It’s one of the coolest experiences that Erie 1 BOCES has, because so many people are willing to help out.”

The annual show has seen continued growth since its debut in 2009, with the 2025 show drawing more than 700 people to see the students’ designs, which, beyond students’ families, includes their teachers, school principals, administrators, and other supporters.

“It feels like a graduation moment,” Borchert said. “It's the pinnacle of their experience in the program.” 

Tickets for this year’s show are $10 and can be purchased at the door. For more information about the show, visit https://careerandtech.e1b.org/programs/fashion-design-technology/fusion-fashion-show-2026.