Houston Community College Brings Sewing to Comicpalooza

The line between a superhero costume and a fashion statement is razor-thin, and at Houston Comicpalooza, it will disappear entirely thanks to a joint venture between Houston First and Houston Community College.

Comic Couture is a competition among HCC design students for the opportunity to showcase their talents at the Comics and Pop Culture Convention this Memorial Day weekend. Comicpalooza regularly attracts over 40,000 visitors per year, making it an ideal opportunity for creations to be seen by a wide audience. Designers are encouraged to take inspiration from popular superheroes, cartoons and other geek properties to create couture outfits.

Participants will vote throughout the weekend for the best outfit. The winner will walk away with a grand prize of $1,000.

“It’s just a different perspective on things,” says Andrea Bonner, chair of the Arts and Consumer Sciences chair. “I think a lot of people say fashion, and people immediately think ready-to-wear. One thing I always tell students is to think outside the box. So I was really happy that they contacted us about it. Comics, anime, all those genres are huge, and you know it. I hope some students will be inspired.

For now, it looks like that wish will be granted. Denise Arredondo is finishing her second year at HCC, balancing her fashion dreams and being a mom to three children. His creation is a high fashion gothic outfit inspired by Alastor from Hotel in Hazbin. The dandy demon is a fan favorite from the hit Netflix animated series due to his charming mannerisms and sartorial flair. He reminds Arredondo of his own father.

“He’s always smiling, come hell or high water,” she says.

Arredondo’s outfit is a satin top in varying shades of red, accented with large puffed sleeves, a skirt that opens in the front, and a small waist cincher. She admits it looks like something you’d buy at the Renaissance Festival, but she’s proud she made it.

“I feel like the opportunities are endless,” she says. “For example, when I was drawing my design for Alastor, I had a lot of fun with it. I didn’t make anything from a sketch I had made personally, so it was a very big challenge.

Bailey Reber takes on the challenge using one of the most beloved superheroes of all time. His short red dress is covered in floor-length black webs and is meant to mimic Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Reber herself isn’t a huge Marvel fan, but her husband is and Spidey is his favorite. Thanks to this, she saw all the films and became very familiar with the wall-crawler style. His vision was that Gwen Stacy or Peter Parker, who had changed gender, would have something appropriate to wear to a fancy event.

“I just imagine him at a gala or Spider-Man recognition party,” she says. “I’m really excited. It’s so much exposure that I probably never would have received otherwise.

Reber will be heading to New York, Spider-Man’s traditional home, next June to complete his bachelor’s degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology. She hopes to follow in the footsteps of Yves Saint Laurent and open her own house.

“I know it’s big and ambitious, but I want to do it,” she says, echoing a sentiment expressed by many superheroes.

The competition will be tough. Bonner will closely monitor the submission to ensure HCC is well represented. The designs on display at the convention will show that the community college can and does produce impressive fashion designers.

“I think a lot of people don’t even know that HCC has a fashion program,” she says. “We have a lot of students who go to work for ballet, opera, like that. Superheroes are perfect for them to learn this from.

Comicpalooza takes place May 24-26 in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Tickets and more information can be found on their website.