Red Ball is an annual tradition for Fashion Design students, faculty, and alumni at RMCAD. Hosted by Colorado Health Network, Red Ball is a premiere runway experience that blends couture fashion and makeup artistry to help promote an awareness for World AIDS Day. This year, you can see the couture works up close in the Red Ball Exhibition in Rotunda Gallery through March 26, 2020. Two alumni who have work on display shared the inspiration behind their designs with us below.
Carlos Valles, Fashion Design 2018
“I focus on wearable art, shoes and accessories. I love working with leather, vinyl, textured fabric and anything that has a different look/feel rather than just smooth shiny fabric. My collection for Red Ball was inspired by strong women. I wanted the audience to see fearless strong women on the runway. I was inspired by the color red and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted garments that could easily be worn by themselves with an added extra flare, whether it was a belt, shoes, etc. It’s all about the audience’s reaction for me, if I’m not getting some sort of reaction from you I’m not doing my job as a fashion designer. That’s how my collection for Red Ball was born.”
![Photographer: Brendan Riley, Hair and Makeup: Studio Salon Denver](https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSC_0742-scaled-1-683x1024.jpg)
![Photographer: Brendan Riley, Hair and Makeup: Studio Salon Denver](https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSC_0700_1-scaled-1-683x1024.jpg)
![Photographer: Brendan Riley, Hair and Makeup: Studio Salon Denver](https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSC_0751-1-scaled-1-683x1024.jpg)
Alexandra Knox, Fashion Design 2018
“I graduated as one of the first students to complete the fashion program in August 2018, and after a year of working through many different odd jobs I’m currently working under Product Development at The North Face.
My creativity and passion in design lies more in couture style, as it allows me more freedom to express myself and create something unique and beautiful. I love to do hand work and add special details to my designs. For now, this kind of creating has mostly been for my own soul and creative outlet as there isn’t much market for this kind of style here, but I think it is important to maintain that balance in life if you are working in a part of the field that strays from your creative choices. Don’t give up on showing your art to the world, even if there is no compensation other than pure enjoyment and fulfillment.”
![Photographer: Brenden Riley, Hair and Makeup: Kantor and Company](https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSC_0661-scaled-1-683x1024.jpg)
![Photographer: Brenden Riley, Hair and Makeup: Kantor and Company](https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/DSC_0715-scaled-1-683x1024.jpg)
![Photographer: Cindel Rodriguez](https://www.rmcad.edu/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/AlexandraKnox3_CindelRodriguez-scaled-1-700x1024.jpg)