Next to gas pumps turned store decor and under the flicker of streetlights down Texas Avenue, Thrifted Threads became a runway as its gas station-themed parking lot turned into a catwalk. A live DJ spun beats that pulsed through the crowd as models struck poses beside a vintage red Mercedes, bringing their fashion to life.

In partnership with local vintage store Thrifted Threads, A-Line Magazine hosted its fashion show on Nov. 13, showcasing upcycled looks styled and modeled by Texas A&M students. In addition to the outdoor fashion show, the event also featured several other local vendors, including Jesus Follower Co., Dunn-it! Mercari and Thrashmeddle y2k & vintage.

A-Line Magazine is a student-run online fashion and lifestyle publication at A&M, which serves as a creative platform for self-expression and individuality. Producing weekly website content and a semesterly print issue, A-Line’s core mission is to “enkindle the human spirit through self-expression and embolden all to excel beyond social norms.”

The idea for the fashion show has been circulating for a long time, according to A-Line Event Chief and hospitality, hotel management and tourism sophomore Breanna Barnett. 

She said the concept of hosting a live event that matches the magazine’s creative spirit frequently surfaced during staff discussions. That vision came to life through A-Line’s collaboration with Thrifted Threads, blending student creativity and sustainable, upcycled fashion, Barnett said.

“When we do interviews for positions, we always ask what new ideas people want to add, and a fashion show always comes up in people’s thoughts,” Barnett said. “Ever since I got my position, my goal was to make one happen.”

For Barnett, the partnership between A-Line and Thrifted Threads feels especially meaningful. In addition to serving as A-Line’s event chief, she works at the store and has seen firsthand how it fosters creativity and community, helping coordinate monthly vendor markets that invite students and locals to connect. 

“I think that sense of community and positivity we have in the store is exactly what we want to bring to the fashion show,” Barnett said.

The fashion show’s theme was centered around streetwear, and Barnett said each stylist was given creative freedom to design their look to interpret what streetwear means to them. Stylists were able to go into the store and pull pieces from Thrifted Threads, including vintage items, to include in or inspire their looks.

“A lot of people have brought their culture into their looks and just streetwear,” Barnett said. “ … It’s exciting to see how everyone has made the theme their own.”

Styling Chief and architecture sophomore Avery Elkins oversees A-Line’s team of stylists, from hair and makeup to models and clothing. Eight models, selected through A-Line’s modeling call, were paired with members of the 12-person styling team. The stylists worked for over a month to bring the looks to life for show day. Avery said the group’s dynamic makes the creative process even stronger. 

“This team of stylists is probably the one I’ve bonded with the most,” Avery said. “We’re all really good friends, but we also understand that at the end of the day, this is still a professional org. It’s a really fun and professional environment.”

A-Line carries a sentimental meaning for Avery, whose older sister, management senior Parker Elkins, serves as A-Line’s editor and introduced Avery to the organization years ago. Years before joining, Avery helped her sister with a fashion shoot while still in high school.

“I learned about A-Line through her,” Avery said. “I even got to help her on a fashion shoot when I was in high school. I got to make this cool necklace out of safety pins. It was a whole moment, and ever since then, I was like, ‘I’m joining this org. This is happening.’”

Also leading the styling process for the show was Assistant to Styling Chief and human resource development sophomore Deb Zhang. She was tasked with juggling two major projects at once as she conducted styling shoots for the magazine, along with coordinating styling for the fashion show. 

“It’s been a lot having both responsibilities going on at the same time, but the fashion show is a very good way of putting A-Line out there,” Zhang said. “It’s a very big event for us.”

Zhang and Avery worked together to design the look for the show’s closing model. The final look of the evening featured a model walking out in a plain white tee and white jeans, then being spraypainted with graffiti art in a live demonstration for attendees to see before she walked the runway. 

“So my favorite part of the night is the closing model’s walk,” Zhang said. “That look is really more of a show.”

While A-Line’s print issue remains the organization’s main focus, Zhang viewed the runway event as an exciting extension of that creative work and another way to showcase A-Line. 

The same skills her team uses to build the magazine’s pages, from sourcing clothing from their own closets to designing makeup concepts to sewing custom pieces and even crafting accessories by hand, shaped the looks that appeared on the runway.

“This theme branches off in a different genre of fashion,” Zhang said. “It’s also like an opportunity where we get to showcase students’ work, and what A-Line represents, which is creative liberty and creative freedom to express yourself.”