Erika Landry Class of 2010 has generously loaned us her runway pieces to feature in student and alumni show "Fashion on the Hill". Erika and her classmates at SAIC discuss the process of the creation of these works which were a collaboration with Swarovski:

This collection, is a homage to princess Anastasia and her sisters during their tumultuous journey from royalty to martyrdom in revolutionary Russia, and their unique use of the smuggled family's jewelry to try and escape their fate.

These pieces were on the SAIC runway show in 2014 “ the Walk” in Millennium Park, Chicago. Each garment contains Swarovski Crystals. Erika  received Swarovski Loose Crystal Scholarship in April 2014. She was  awarded "most elegant" at fashion 2014 by the Chicago Life Blog, "Rounding Up the Walk".

Erika worked as an intern at Marchesa, Naeem Khan, Helmut Lang, and is currently assistant designer at Elie Tahari, in New York City.

Hope you all can attend this wonderful event on May 31 at 11am in the Great Hall at the State House. If you have not RSVPed please do so at statehousefashion@gmail.com

 The following students have their work on exhibit at MITRE as part of MITRE's Emerging Artists Series, thanks to the invitation of Robert Thys, Corporate Records and Archives at MITRE. Ellen Powers of the MITRE Corporate Art Program curated. MITRE is located at 202 Burlington Road.

• Rachel Carlino, Class of 2017, Encaustic Painting
• Josephine Samarjian, Class of 2017, Self Portrait, Painting
• Alyssa Healey, Class of 2017, Self Portrait, Painting
• Josephine Samarjian, Class of 2017, Still Life, Painting
• Stephanie O'Neill, Class of 2016, Organic, Photograph
• Emily Sateriale, Class of 2017, Self Portrait, Mixed Media
• Emily Moreira, Class of 2017, Radial Design, Watercolor
• Arya Bhat, Class of 2018, Stage Crew: Pilot, Digital
• Katherine Scott, Class of 2017, Tags, Photograph
• Jillian Sullivan, Class of 2017, Drawing
• Jessica Sarver, Class of 2017, Apple, Collage

Fashion on the Hill, a live runway fashion show, will be presented by fashion design students from Burlington High School on Tuesday, May 31, at 11:00 am, in the Great Hall of the Massachusetts State House. Hosted by Massachusetts State Representative Kenneth Gordon (Bedford, Burlington, Wilmington), the event is the first of its kind at the State House, designed to highlight the impact the arts have in public schools.

Burlington is one of just a handful of public high schools in the state who offer a fashion design course in its art department. The program provides a progressive study of clothing construction for its student designers. Throughout the year the young men and women gain a broad understanding of construction techniques and utilize methods including traditional pattern design, hand and machine stitching, cutting and gluing.

Fashion on the Hill will showcase the creations of 18 students and 3 alumni from the Burlington High School art department who have chosen the fashion design elective. Art students will model the apparel and will also provide the running commentary.

The runway show will also feature unique pieces of adaptive clothing for students who have physical disabilities and/or global developmental delays. These designs were created for students in the LABBB program at Burlington High School, an educational program that helps students with special needs reach their full potential. LABBB students will have the opportunity to model these creative designs.

To further enhance the impact of the arts in public schools, an exhibit of 2-D artwork will take place simultaneously in the Great Hall, highlighting works of other talented Burlington High School art students. A meet and greet reception with the designers, artists and their instructors will take place following the runway show.

Fashion on the Hill is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to StateHouseFashion@gmail.com.