During the day, pop-up shops and guest speakers filled an East Austin boutique venue, but when the sun set, pink strobe lights bounced off the walls, and live music surrounded the room as the 2025 Future of Fashion runway show began.
REFIND — a fashion collective — presented “Future of Fashion” at Mira Mira on Friday for South by Southwest. In the morning, the event featured fashion tech demos, pop-up shops and industry discussions; at night, a fashion show with innovative designers and live music performances emerged. Saturn Eclair, REFIND producer, said this event intersects fashion, technology and community.
“It’s really about establishing the next level of culture and community in fashion,” said Eclair (textiles and apparel and mechanical engineering alumna). “Right now, there’s a huge movement where women are taking charge in fashion and technology spaces, and through REFIND, we are able to bring industry professionals together.”
Lexi Lily, a model in the fashion show, said modeling in the event and showcasing the work of female designers proves rewarding.
“I like being able to represent something that’s not just like, ‘Oh, here’s some pretty clothes’ (but) ‘Here’s some pretty clothes, and they’re by female designers,’” said Lily (retail merchandising undergraduate, communications sciences and disorders graduate alumna). “There’s a purpose and message and intention behind it all.”
Eclair said she got started in this industry and double majored at UT because she craved a more human-centered environment after studying in engineering classes.
“I was able to kind of live in two different ecosystems and combine technology and fashion,” Eclair said. “I think that’s where my passion for REFIND came from because I realized the world I was looking to live in doesn’t exist yet. So, I was like, ‘This is great,’ because I’m meeting engineers who are interested in fashion.”
Morgan Rizzuti (history alumna), founder of swimwear brand House of ZZ and a pop-up vendor at the event, said she created her brand with zero background in design after studying history at UT.
“Being in Austin really nurtured my creative side, and then being in the business minor was really cool for me because I saw that this is something I can do – I can be interested in,” Rizzuti said. “ So it taught me a lot of life lessons in gaining some grit at a young age … and ultimately led me to what I’m doing now.”
Rizzuti said seeing her swimwear brand come to fruition and presenting it at SXSW proved an enriching experience.
“When it all comes together and you see it on a woman, and she feels so comfortable in it — that feeling I can’t describe,” Rizzuti said. “Seeing your tiny pieces of swimwear make someone feel good and … then at something like (SXSW) is huge.”
Lily said that although the fashion industry remains harsh and difficult to break into, it still offers fun and excitement. She said students should dream big and achieve their fashion goals.
“Austin is an up-and-coming city in film and fashion,” Lily said. “UT will connect you to the people you need to meet, and then from there, when you learn those skills and meet those people, it’s really up to you. As the old saying goes, ‘Change the world.’”
