Fashion is a form of communication, and the clothing we wear signals a story that both shapes and reflects our society. Throughout history, activists have embraced style as a means of driving social change and challenging the status quo. Often the cultural techniques and materials that are popularized by luxury designers are never credited to the visionary communities that created them. El Fashion Show—Taller Puertorriqueño’s annual spring fundraiser—flips this top-down system on its head and brings the runway to Philadelphia’s barrio.

Join us this year for a presentation of designs created by neighborhood youth and elders as well as new collections by emerging Latinx designers Buenas Vibras Apparel, Las Divas del Monte collective, and artist Roberto Lugo in collaboration with eco-friendly brand Pangaia. The night will culminate with a first look at Nasheli Ortiz González’s new collection, inspired by the weathered Puerto Rican flags and peeling pastel paint on the buildings in our Fairhill community—timeworn, but still standing with pride.