How Two Austin Student Designers Transformed Frida Kahlo’s Art Into an Award-Winning Fashion Collection
McCallum Fine Arts Academy students Millie Partin and Morgan McGaughey brought Kahlo’s color, symbolism and emotional depth beyond the canvas
At McCallum Fine Arts Academy, a decades-old tradition continues to thrive: a fully student-run fashion show produced without a formal fashion program. What began more than 20 years ago under the guidance of a textiles teacher now lives on through the Cinematic Arts department, organized entirely by students with support from faculty and parent volunteers.
Building on this strong tradition, the 2026 fashion show invited students to create designs inspired by fine art, a concept that also appeared in this year’s Met Gala theme, “Costume Art,” exploring the relationship between fashion and artistic expression. McCallum designers similarly transformed admired artworks into wearable pieces.
A runway tribute to Frida Kahlo
The winning designers, Millie Partin and Morgan McGaughey, drew inspiration from Frida Kahlo, collaborating on a collection that reimagined her bold colors, emotional symbolism and iconic imagery through three original looks. Partin shares, “I have always found Frida’s story to be very moving, and I loved her work from the moment I first saw it. I immediately thought of ‘The Two Fridas’ painting being transformed into fashion pieces.” McGaughey adds, “With the two connected hearts, we knew it would be impactful using two models together on the runway.” In addition to recreating the famous painting through fashion, the team also designed a third look meant to represent Kahlo’s work more broadly.
At the heart of their design was a desire to capture the emotional honesty of Kahlo’s work. “Frida’s artwork has most impacted me by representing pain in a beautiful way,” McGaughey says. “We wanted to represent, as well as we could, the messages that Frida was able to communicate in her artwork in a different form.” Partin notes a similar goal: “I hope that the designs show people the way that Frida was able to take her pain and suffering and create meaningful art. I want these pieces in particular to push my audience to find the beauty within dark situations,” she says.
This sentiment resonated strongly both on the runway and beyond, inspiring TRIBEZA to bring the collection into an editorial setting where the emotion behind each wearable work of art could be experienced beyond a brief moment on the catwalk.
Advice for aspiring designers
Sondra Primeaux, an educator and a designer behind her label, The Unruffled, has worked in the fashion industry for more than two decades and helped bring renewed structure and resources to the McCallum Fashion Show in recent years. Now a business teacher at the high school, she volunteers her time mentoring student designers and encouraging them to approach fashion through experimentation and persistence rather than perfection.
“Just jump in,” Primeaux says. “Get yourself a simple, older sewing machine — something sturdy — and start making things.”
Her advice focuses on building foundational skills and learning through practice. “You don’t need fancy stitches,” she says. “Learn the basics — how fabric moves, how it drapes — and build from there.” Primeaux also encourages students to take advantage of accessible online resources. “You can learn almost anything from YouTube,” she says. For students hoping to pursue fashion more seriously, she stresses the importance of documenting their work early. “Photograph everything you make that you’re proud of,” Primeaux says. “Start building a portfolio.”
That balance of creativity and practicality is echoed by Nina Means, director of the Austin Community College Fashion Incubator and one of this year’s judges for the fashion show. Means, who transitioned from a career in public health into fashion, built her experience through studies at the Fashion Institute of Technology and design work for brands including American Eagle Outfitters and H by Halston. She now mentors emerging designers in Austin, emphasizing the importance of understanding both artistry and business.
“Build your product around a clear customer need and understand that pain point better than anyone else,” Means says. “Using automation and AI is table stakes these days — learn it and use it. Then, stand out to your customers on how you solve the problem with the product or service.” She also reminds young creatives to value their own work: “Don’t forget to pay yourself what you’re worth and add tax.”