On the Northside of San Antonio, at Stevens High School on Potranco Road, you’ll find Mrs. Gomez and her fashion students getting ready for their biggest event of the year: The 3rd Annual Goodwill San Antonio Sustainable Fiesta Fashion Show. 

The partnership between Goodwill San Antonio and Stevens High School helps further Goodwill’s mission and provides the students with invaluable hands-on experience in the stores for the students to learn merchandising, marketing, display design, business management, and customer service.

“Our students grow so much, not only as fashion designers and creators but as individuals each year participating in this program,” said Jessica Gomez, Stevens High School Fashion Instructor. “Our students learned every facet of retail - merchandising, styling, and customer service. These experiences give students a real-life idea of working in the fashion industry through production and retail.” 

Together with Agosto Cuellar,  Merchandising Manager at Goodwill San Antonio, students were provided valuable guidance and expertise in sourcing garments for the show. Agosto worked alongside students to help them put together all of their looks for the fashion show. With eighteen unique looks curated, they explored a diverse range of styles, colors, and materials to capture the vibrant spirit of Fiesta.

“The partnership allows students to visit us at Goodwill, pick out things they can recycle, repurpose, and reimagine,” said Cuellar.

After several weeks of sourcing pieces, students were finally ready for the big show. The looks were perfectly paired with accessories from the Goodwill Accents Boutique such as statement bags and jewelry. 

The 3rd Annual Goodwill San Antonio Sustainable Fiesta Fashion Show was produced on April 5, and the students were ready to strut down the runway and show off their looks to the crowd.

This partnership between Goodwill San Antonio and Stevens High School helped students showcase how you can reimagine your outfits for Fiesta, and do so sustainably and on a budget. 

“My favorite part of the whole experience is seeing my students' self-confidence and esteem grow when they overcome a challenge or learn something new. The pride they radiate after seeing all that they've accomplished is worth all the stress and challenges faced along the way,” said Gomez. 

By Vanessa Mallari, vmallari@goodwillsa.org