Bazan wins Best of Class in fashion design

During her Fallbrook High School freshman year Alicia Bazan was a student in Lita Tabish's fashion design class. She made a flannel garment which can be worn either as boxer-style short pants or as a swimsuit and, during the judging of the San Diego County Fair's Student Showcase, that clothing won Best of Class for ninth-graders in this year's Fashion Design competition.

"I thought that was pretty impressive," Tabish said.

Bazan's garment included prints of bananas enjoying the water.

The fair's Student Showcase does not have head-to-head judging other than for Best of Class and Best of Show. A point system determines whether individual entries receive first, second, or third place.

First-place ribbons were also given to freshman Jordan Farquhar for a black wraparound skirt, senior Kaitlin Parsons for a print dress, and senior Jonathan Robles for a black hoodie with a grey stripe around the zipper.

Second-place recognition was bestowed upon senior Kodi Jones for her recycled project which turned a T-shirt into a top and skirt with pink and blue dots and flowers on the skirt, freshman April Lugo for a blouse, senior Amanda Navarro for a kimono and dress, junior Sarah Castaneda for a prom dress, and senior Sofia Navarro for a floral print dress.

"It's wonderful," said Tabish. "I'm very excited for them."

Fallbrook High School's fashion department offered two classes which incorporated marketing and other business skills, display and presentation skills, and color and design skills along with apparel creation.

Both the Fashion, Clothing and Design class and the Fashion Merchandising course were recognized by Palomar College, which allowed students to receive college credit for taking those classes at Fallbrook High School while also allowing the students' work to be featured at the spring Palomar College Fashion Show held at the Escondido Center for the Arts.

"I'm really proud of my kids," Tabish said. "I think the kids have been really successful over the years, and I'm very proud of that."

The 2016-17 school year was the 18th for Tabish as a fashion design and fashion merchandising teacher, but the school district has eliminated that program so the eight awards not including Bazan's Best of Class honor may be the final ones for Fallbrook High School fashion students.

"It was a great end of the program," Tabish said. "This was kind of a nice send-off with all the kids winning."

Tabish – and many of the students who will be at Fallbrook High School next year – would have preferred that the fair awards hadn't been the program's finale.

"It's kind of sad, though, because the ninth-graders could have gone on to the advanced class had they not cut the program," Tabish said. "I'm sad to see it go."

Tabish will transfer to Ivy High School and will work with students on independent projects. The students will determine their projects and many of those will likely be entered in next year's Student Showcase. Tabish noted that she would have a fashion design entry in next year's county fair if a student desires such a project.

"If they are interested in fashion then, yes, I'm going to do that," she said.