Fashion Design at The Dalí

This free program allows artistically inclined high school students from the Tampa Bay area to learn the fundamentals of design, construction and runway presentation from experienced artists and designers. Through nontraditional materials, students are invited to think creatively to produce wearable works of art that translate from sketch to runway.

Fashion Design at The Dalí 2026-27

This year, The Dalí Museum expands its hallmark high school program, Fashion Design at The Dalí. Reimagined for 2026, the program will welcome five talented students with career ambitions in fine art, costumery and fashion, alongside five film students who will document each designer’s creative process on video. The program will culminate in a free public exhibition showcasing the students’ original designs and films.

This year’s theme, Disruption + Devotion, invites students to select both a work of art by Salvador Dalí and an iconic fashion piece. Using these visual inspirations as the foundation for their designs, students will explore both their devotion to the history of fashion and how they might disrupt it through their own creative vision. Presented in conjunction with the Museum’s special exhibition of the same name, the theme pays homage to Dalí as a devoted student of art history and religion—honoring the past while challenging it through his own imaginative approach.

Applications will be accepted through Sep 2, with acceptance notifications sent no later than Sep 4. In addition to written recommendations, applicants must submit portfolio images or video, as well as a writing sample. Students accepted into the program must commit to monthly meetings, bi-weekly check-ins and additional meetings as needed.

Each meeting will focus on a different technique or fundamental of clothing construction and design. Sessions will take place on Sunday mornings from 10am–1pm, beginning in Sep and concluding in Jan. The primary meeting location will be announced at a later date, with select sessions taking place at The Dalí Museum. Meeting dates are as follows:

Sep 13
Oct 11
Nov 8
Dec 13
Jan 10

Additional dates may be added. Please note in your application if you have a schedule conflict with any of these sessions.

fashion student application

film student application

donate to support this program

FAQs

How will I know if my application has been accepted?

Accepted students will be notified via email by August 25. Accepted students must confirm their spot in the program by replying to that email by end-of-day September 5. Students who have not confirmed their spot by September 5 will be removed from the program and their spot will be given to another student. Late acceptances will be announced September 10, if space becomes available.

Why are references required with my application and how do I get them?

References from a teacher, mentor, coach or other trusted adult are required with your application. A reference is like a recommendation for you to join the program; they help advocate for your level of responsibility and dedication for a rigorous program like this one.

To get a reference, ask an adult who has worked closely with you in the past to provide their email address and phone number. They should then email a letter of recommendation to sayad@thedali.org. Students whose references have sent a letter of recommendation will be given priority acceptance to the program. Parents are unable to serve as a reference unless a student is homeschooled. Trish Donnelly and Sumaya Ayad are also unable to serve as references for the program.

What happens at each session?

Accepted students will receive a schedule with an outline containing weekly focus topics and due dates. Some session topics include Draping and Patterns 101 and Runway Coaching. Most sessions are held from 10am-1pm on Sunday in the PCCA Costume Workshop with some taking place offsite at the Dalí Museum, Neiman Marcus and other stores and design centers.

Some sessions will include guest speakers from various areas and industries or begin with a formal class and end of worktime. Others have no class and are solely an open studio day. Each session varies and students should be prepared for a variety of structures.

Is attendance mandatory?

Yes—student designers are required to attend each session of the program.

How are prizes awarded?

As the program evolves and shifts to serve just 6 students, the awards process and number of prizes will also change. Students will be notified of these changes when they have been set.

About the Instructor:
Patricia (Trish) Donnelly, PCCA Design Technology, Costume Design

Trish Donnelly is the Department Chair of the Design Technology Theatre Department at the Pinellas County Center for the Arts at Gibbs High School. She serves as the costume and stage makeup designer and instructor for the program. In addition to her educational work, Trish designs for professional theater and private commissions. Her costume design work was most recently seen in the American Stage Theatre Company’s production of Long Day’s Journey Into Night and during the 2017 Gasparilla Pirate Festival.

Trish received her Associate of Arts from Florida State University and went on to receive her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Arts from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. At Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN, she completed advanced classes in the study of Fiber Arts. Trish has also completed intensive classes in Stage, TV, Film and Historic Makeup Design at the London College of Fashion in London, England as the result of receiving a Surdna Arts Teachers Fellowship.

Trish was awarded the Tampa Bay 2012 Jeff Norton Outstanding Costume Design for her Rocky Horror Show design for the American Stage Theatre Company. Trish also received the 2014 Florida Theatre Conference Award of Outstanding Contribution to Florida’s Theatre in High Schools.

Trish is has served as instructor for the program since its inception.

Thank you to our program sponsors: