On May 14, 2026, the cavernous hall of Powerhouse Arts in Brooklyn simmered with excitement as friends, family, faculty, and industry professionals gathered to see Pratt’s 125th annual runway show, featuring work by graduating seniors in the BFA Fashion Design program. The evening honored Indigenous fashion designer and founder of EMME Studio Korina Emmerich with the 2026 Pratt Fashion Visionary Award in recognition of her bold, community-driven work rooted in culture, storytelling, and climate justice. The event garnered attention from the media, including coverage in Vogue, Fashionista, and HighSnobiety.
Pratt Institute President Frances Bronet proudly welcomed everyone to the impressive space for Pratt’s annual runway show, which was first presented in 1899, making it the longest-running in the United States. President Bronet congratulated the graduating class on their immense accomplishments and mentioned Pratt Fashion’s recent feature in a New York Times article about Pratt’s Mending Circle. She then introduced Céline Semaan, founder of Slow Factory, who presented the Pratt Fashion Visionary Award to Emmerich.
Emmerich greeted the audience and thanked Pratt for the honor. She acknowledged the challenges she’s faced in the fashion industry, applauded the class of 2026 on the intentionality and care present in their designs, and advised those entering the field to stay grounded. “You have to know who you are … and what you stand for,” she said. Emmerich’s uniquely considered approach to the potential of clothing aligns with Pratt’s ongoing interest in preparing emerging designers to pursue boundary-pushing, sustainable fashion.
Chair of Fashion Lisa Z. Morgan thanked Emmerich and Semaan and introduced this year’s student collections, many of which meld social critique with personal history. For the first time, each student’s final collection was required to include at least 20 percent repurposed or responsibly sourced garments, with many choosing to do far more, furthering Pratt’s ongoing commitment to sustainability in education. Morgan also encouraged attendees to visit Pratt Shows: Design to view additional student collections on display, along with process details and portfolios. As Morgan spoke, images from the class Look Book provided a sneak peek on the large screen.
It was standing room only as the lights dimmed in the great hall, and all eyes turned to the front, where one by one striking silhouettes marched, strutted, meandered, and twirled down the runway. With each change of song, a new array of textures, colors, and structures emerged. Each student presented a collection composed of a minimum of five complete looks, including accessories and footwear.
The designers who debuted their collections at the show were, in presenting order: Xingyi Liu; Alice Jianglan Li; Devon Carlson; Naisa Agrawal; Shannon Bollin; Ava Wilson; Jiaying Tang; Amina Walker; Shweta Rajesh; Aiden Pérez; Bea Kohner; Cameron Smith; Lily Sophia Albaisa; Marina Magré; Xinran Vivi Fan; Haiqin Kyra Guan; Yixin Carina Xu; Minkyung Stella Kim; Cyril Siyu Cao; Katya Bolaños; Keya Huang; Stephany Silva; Mitchen Hallie; Marisa Sirichartchai; Xuanyi Li; Lia Skøien; Auguste DuBois; and Caleb Callahan.
Caleb Callahan was also named the winner of the 2026 Christopher Hunte “On Point” Award for his collection, Cork, Kerala, which investigates the historical intersections of Irish and Indian journeys toward self-determination. The $10,000 prize is named in memory of a beloved Pratt professor. Callahan’s work highlights how fashion becomes a uniform for change, using the traditional crafts of weaving and embroidery to bridge the gap between past and present.
This was an especially exciting year for fashion at Pratt, as the first cohort of students in the MFA Fashion Collection + Communication program marked the completion of their degree with a final exhibition in The Rubelle and Norman Schafler Gallery.
Explore the first looks from each designer’s collection from this year’s undergraduate fashion runway show below. Images courtesy of Fernando Colon.