Frill Seekers and Seamsters

When nearly 1,500 Los Angeles-area high school students were invited to attend a career fair Wednesday at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College, they got more than a bunch of brochures. They were entertained by a fashion show featuring the community college’s student works.

The show has two purposes. It’s a sneak peek of tonight’s Gold Thimble Fashion Show, the twice yearly juried presentation of fashion design graduates’ best work. It’s also a clever recruitment tool that helps expose high school students to the affordable fashion education that the college offers for $11 a unit, said Sharon Tate, dean of academic affairs at Trade-Tech’s Fashion Center.

The 36 graduating students compete for gold, silver and copper thimble awards in half-a dozen categories, including “theme wear,” a category that requires students to copy an original couture garment, or even a movie costume. This year, a student made a life-size version of one of Bob Mackie’s winged Barbie outfits.

“That was a garment that was never bigger than 18 inches,” said Tate.

Fashion at Trade-Tech is the largest program of any public or private college in the western United States, the dean said. More than 450 students attend daytime classes, and another 750 take Saturday or evening classes.

The school’s alums include Carole Little, swimwear designer Robin Piccone and evening wear maker Tadashi.

Tickets are still available for $6 for tonight’s 7:30 show at the school’s Grand Theater, 400 W. Washington Blvd., Los Angeles.