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IN THIS ISSUE The growing importance of music at Glenwood Springs High School PAGE 3
A youth newspaper powered by The Sopris Sun
Reflections on the Holocaust PAGE 4-5
Restaurant reviews, en español PAGE 6 Volume 1, Number 6 | March 26 - April 29, 2026
A story of carnival, dance and politics GISELLE “GIGI” RASCON Sopris Stars Fashion Columnist
“I saw the power of combining story with dance and fashion and was really intrigued by the dynamics of that combination,” Amy Kimberly, former executive of Carbondale Arts, stated on the Carbondale Arts website. That legacy was beautifully echoed in this year’s Carbondale “Step Right Up” Fashion Show, which ran March 12-14, as direction was passed down to Emily Fifer and Meagan Londy Shapiro to creatively build on Kimberly's approach to express story through fashion. This year's carnival theme began by introducing the infamous roles that make a circus what it is, to the weaving of a narrative through movement, music and garments. The production transformed the runway into something more theatrical than traditional fashion. The hypnotic yet alluring performances of the aerialists, vintage circus advertisements and the doll-like elements that flowed through hair and makeup were factors that all heightened that nostalgic carnival feel. I’ve attended a handful of fashion shows over the past few years, yet there’s something about Carbondale’s that has so far enlightened me the most. Possibly, it’s the opportunity to design? The anticipation of knowing what the upcoming theme is, the choreography, or just the overall thrill of experiencing the work of artists in our own community. But as my eyes wandered around the room, it made sense what the foundation is that makes this event so memorable. Those lucky enough to attend the annual show might have caught themselves — maybe consciously, possibly not — bopping their heads like a flock of urban pigeons to the energetic soundtrack and the models' bold on-beat runway walks.
What makes this fashion show so special isn’t just the clothes, but the love we have for each other as a community. The countless volunteer hours that go into enriching the experience, and the local businesses giving a hand in any way they can. Carbondale is crazy; creatively crazy. The kind of crazy where dancers, designers and volunteers collide to create something bigger than themselves. And for a few nights each year, that chaos is highly awaited. Don't get me wrong about the following statements. I love shows; I love seeing people's eyes drag themselves from look to look, like grandfather clocks, stepping into crazy sets. It's a blessing to experience a passion for the art with others, but there are times when I yearn for that chaos. And dare I say, I'll miss Carbondale's extravagant approach to fashion. The more open I’ve become with people about fashion and the art it has to offer, the more I’ve realized that some people — not everyone — assume fashion is only about appearance, and about caring too much on how you’re perceived, or proving yourself materially. Or they reduce it to the simple act of covering yourself, for God’s sake. But fashion goes much deeper than what you see. Fashion is felt, it's political, hectic, beautiful and expressive all at once. And right now, as we are all living through a questionable and concerning state of the world's politics and society, this year’s show left me with something beyond a good laugh to take home. The way our society has been gradually emerging into something almost satirical and obscure, far from what many of us envisioned for ourselves, took center stage. There were lines that, sure, were off-theme but gave a chaotic sense in their own way, and more like
Art by Giselle "Gigi" Rascon
reflections of who we’ve become. “Kingdom of the Sporeborne: Icons of the Mycoverse” by Lawrence Pevec, Hamilton Pevec and Ayana Pevec Brown grounded the runway in something ancient and organic with exotic fungal forms that spoke to our deep, rooted connection to earth. Beautiful Polynesian dancers, “Golden Souls of Nature” by Aspen Polynesia, brought the natural world to the runway with feather-covered attire. In contrast, “Plastic Revival,” a
line constructed of recycled material, tagged along with model Anders Carlson and his bold caveman-like stage presence, felt hardly jarring in the slight reminder of who we once were. It made me think about our evolution and how our reliance on synthetic materials has reshaped not only our environment but also our identity, taking over our lives entirely. The ecological narratives continued through “Felt Goods” by Jill Scher continued on page 7