SiNaCa Studios
Over 80 shapely objects will take to the runway during Fort Worth Fashion Week at the annual Vitro Moda event being held at The Social Space on September 21 at 7 p.m.
But we’re not talking about fashion models here.
Instead, the shapely objects gracing the runway at this event will be sculpted out of glass. But that doesn’t mean this event is model free either. The models on this runway have a very special job to do; act as moving pedestals for the glass objects on display.
This event, which has been going on in one shape or form since 2008, was created as a concept by the founding members of SiNaCa Studios before SiNaCa Studios even existed. In fact, it was a Vitro Moda-style event that helped spark the idea of having a physical place to teach, and create 3D art.
Loosely set up as a possible fundraising event for SiNaCa Studios, which is a non-profit/ school located in an old "glass" station at 1013 West Magnolia Avenue, Vitro Moda has turned into more of an annual showcase that allows 3D artists to display their work.
Throughout the years Vitro Moda has evolved from a glass sculpture exhibition at the Community Arts Center to an all-out fashion show with rock stars in attendance.
“We wanted to do something unique, so we partnered with some fashion folks and got some of them interested in making wearables out of glass,” Cliton Crofford, executive director of SiNaCa Studios said about the inception of this idea. “We talked about doing a New York style runway exhibition where we would bring in professional models that would act as pedestals, and then the runway transforms into a gallery setting where the art is kind of presented and brought to the audience. And it was really well received. Everybody thought that it was fun and different, and so we started annually putting on our Vitro Moda.”
According to Crofford, this one-night event was created as a way to elevate the glass making community’s hard work and also educate others about what it takes to create a piece of 3D art.
Vitro Moda will kick off with a silent auction called the “glass grab,” where attendees can buy a ticket and get a piece of glass art. The kicker is, the purchaser has no idea what they are buying until they open the box they bid on.
But that’s not all. Once the glass art has been revealed to the purchaser, they then warm up the runway, displaying the work of art that was in the box.
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REBECCA DELL PHOTOGRAPHGY
Christa Westbrook 3/2022
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REBECCA DELL PHOTOGRAPHGY
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REBECCA DELL PHOTOGRAPHGY
“We have them go ahead and take a lap on the runway and kind of strut their stuff and see if they've got what it takes to be a fashion model,” Crofford says. “It gets the audience out of their chairs and up and moving around. And then we bring out the pros.”
The pros he’s referring to are models from the Kim Dawson Agency out of Dallas. SiNaCa Studios partnered with Fort Worth Fashion Week to kick off this event, which hasn’t been put on since 2019.
“So, Philip (Maximillian) at Fort Worth Fashion Week was really excited to partner with us. And so he's got several Couture partners that are dressing the Kim Dawson models in fashion that kind of coordinates with the glass,” he says.
Vitro Moda will play out in three scenarios, starting out with vibrant, then neutral, and formal for the final scene.
“The production value of this event is really high end,” Crofford says. “We really want to elevate it and make it a really nice, fun event.”
Crofford explained that many people see Vitro Moda as SiNaCa Studios’ big annual fundraiser, which is what it was set up to be in theory. However, this event has actually evolved into a 3D artists get together that allows audiences to enjoy and view some of their hard work. And for you “Blown Away” fans there’s even a chance to see season 3 winner John Moran’s work, which is being shipped from Belgium to Fort Worth for the exhibition.
"SiNaCa Studios is really dedicated to all artists," Crofford says. There's places out there where one artist seems to be the highlight of an organization, and we really tried to push the formula of elevating all glass artists. And so, there are emerging artists in the show, there's established artists in the show, and there's pioneering artists in the Contemporary Glass movement in the show. We support them all. To us, they are all equally important."
