On January 30, 28 aspiring fashion designers will transform Frida Kahlo’s legacy into couture. Models will stride down the runway at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston wearing original designs inspired by one of the world’s most iconic artists.
This is Fashion Fusion X—the 10th anniversary of Houston City College’s annual design competition. And this year, it’s celebrating the debut of an exhibition that will change how people understand Frida Kahlo: Frida: The Making of an Icon.
For one night only, art and fashion collide on the MFAH runway. Designers will showcase what it means to interpret Kahlo’s complex persona, her fierce independence, and her transformation from a relatively unknown Mexican painter to a global brand.
The Exhibition Changing Everything
Starting January 18, the MFAH opens Frida: The Making of an Icon—a monumental exhibition that does something no major Frida exhibition has done before.
Instead of a traditional retrospective celebrating Frida’s work, this exhibition traces her posthumous transformation from a local painter practically unknown during her lifetime to a global cultural icon whose image rivals Van Gogh, Picasso, and Warhol.
The exhibition features more than 30 works by Frida Kahlo herself, paired with 120 works by five generations of artists she inspired—from her Surrealist contemporaries in the 1930s to Chicana/o activists in the 1970s, feminist and LGBTQ+ activists in the 1980s-90s, and identity-focused contemporary artists.
Curated by Mari Carmen Ramírez, the Wortham Curator of Latin American Art at the MFAH, the exhibition explores seven themes: Construction/Self-Construction, Surreal Affinities, On the Other Side of the Border, Gendered Dialogues, Neo-Mexicanisms, A Pro-Activist Legacy, and Fridamania.
That last section is fascinating. Fridamania displays over 200 consumer products—Frida coffee mugs, Frida Barbie dolls, Frida cosmetics, Frida socks, Frida posters. It traces the moment when Frida went from artist to brand, when her image became merchandise and her legacy became commercialized globally.
The exhibition runs through May 17 at the MFAH, then travels to the Tate Modern in London from June 25, 2026, to January 3, 2027.
The Designers Taking the Runway
Fashion Fusion X challenges 28 student and alumni designers from Houston City College’s award-winning Fashion Design program to create original garments inspired by the Frida exhibition.
These aren’t students making simple class projects. These are aspiring professionals competing for recognition, cash prizes, and a chance to have their winning designs displayed at The Galleria Mall and the MFAH.
The designs will address Frida’s art, her personal history, her identity, and the cultural movements she inspired. Designers have to think deeply: How do you translate Frida’s self-portraits into wearable art? How do you capture her fierce independence in fabric and form? How do you interpret the five decades of artists who responded to her work?
It’s complex. It’s creative. It’s fashion as cultural commentary.
The Runway Show Details
Friday, January 30, 2026
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Seating:
- General admission: Included with MFAH ticket
- VIP seating: $35 (includes drink voucher)
Models: Professional models from the Neal Hamil Agency and Page Parkes Texas will showcase the designs.
Judging & Awards: First and second place winners will be named in each design category, plus an audience choice winner. Winning garments will be displayed at The Galleria and the MFAH following the show.
Bar: Available with drinks for purchase throughout the event
What to Expect: An evening celebrating emerging talent, visual artistry, and the influence of one of the world’s most important artists. You’ll see original couture pieces designed by Houston’s next generation of fashion professionals. You’ll witness creativity responding to creativity—students and alumni interpreting Frida’s legacy through contemporary design.
Why This Matters
Fashion Fusion isn’t just a competition. It’s a collaboration between an academic institution and a world-class museum to create something larger than either could alone.
Houston City College’s Fashion Design program is award-winning. The MFAH is opening a groundbreaking Frida exhibition that will eventually reach the Tate Modern. When they partner on this event, you get emerging designers working at the highest level, interpreting one of the most important artists of the 20th century.
This is what arts education looks like when it’s taken seriously.
The Bigger Frida Story
Frida Kahlo died in 1954, relatively unknown outside Mexico. She was a painter of self-portraits and personal mythology—work that was dismissed or misunderstood during her lifetime.
Then something changed. In the 1970s, feminist artists discovered her. In the 1980s, LGBTQ+ activists claimed her as their own. In the 1990s, her image became mainstream. By the 2000s, Frida was everywhere—on merchandise, in museums, in popular culture globally.
The MFAH exhibition asks: How did that transformation happen? How did a local Mexican painter become a global icon? And what does that transformation mean for understanding both Frida as an artist and the artists who claimed her legacy?
Fashion Fusion X provides one answer: through creative interpretation. Designers looking at Frida’s work and creating something new. That’s how cultural legacy works—artists respond to artists, generation after generation.
Your Action Plan
Get tickets now. Fashion Fusion events sell out. VIP seating with the drink voucher ($35) is worth it for the experience.
Go to the Frida exhibition while you’re there. It runs through May 17. Take time to see the art. Spend time in the Fridamania gallery understanding how an artist becomes a brand.
Then go back to the runway show on January 30 at 7 p.m. Watch 28 designers showcase their interpretation of Frida’s influence. See what happens when contemporary fashion meets art history.
This is Houston’s cultural moment. The MFAH is hosting a world-premiere exhibition that will travel to the Tate Modern. Houston City College is producing fashion designers working at professional levels. And you get to witness both in one night.
Don’t miss it.
The Details
Fashion Fusion X: Frida: The Making of an Icon
Date: Friday, January 30, 2026
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Location: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Address: 1001 Bissonnet Street, Houston, TX 77005
- Building: Law Building, Level 2
Admission:
- General: Included with MFAH ticket
- VIP Seating: $35 (includes drink voucher)
Designers: 28 students and alumni from Houston City College’s Fashion Design program
Models: Neal Hamil Agency and Page Parkes Texas professional models
Awards:
- First place winner (each category)
- Second place winner (each category)
- Audience choice winner
- Winning designs displayed at The Galleria and MFAH
Amenities:
- Bar with drinks available for purchase
- Professional runway presentation
- Museum galleries open for pre/post-show viewing
Frida: The Making of an Icon Exhibition
Dates: January 18 – May 17, 2026 (Houston premiere)
Location: MFAH Law Building, Level 2
What’s Included:
- 30+ original works by Frida Kahlo
- 120 works by five generations of artists inspired by Kahlo
- Archival documents and photographs
- Personal items from Frida’s collection
- Over 200 consumer products (Fridamania gallery)
- Seven thematic sections
Exhibition Themes:
- Construction/Self-Construction
- Surreal Affinities
- On the Other Side of the Border
- Gendered Dialogues
- Neo-Mexicanisms
- A Pro-Activist Legacy
- Fridamania
Curators: Mari Carmen Ramírez (Wortham Curator of Latin American Art) and ICAA team
International Tour: Tate Modern, London (June 25, 2026 – January 3, 2027)
Featured Artists in Exhibition:
- Amalia Mesa-Bains
- Ana Mendieta
- Carlos Almaraz
- Delilah Montoya
- Judy Chicago
- Kiki Smith
- Plus 66 additional contemporary and historical artists
Frida Kahlo Context
Life: 1907-1954
Recognition: Practically unknown to mainstream audiences during her lifetime; became global icon since mid-1970s
Current Status: One of only a handful of female artists with instant recognition rivaling Van Gogh, Picasso, Andy Warhol
Legacy: Claimed by feminist movements, LGBTQ+ activists, Chicana/o artists, and contemporary identity-focused movements across five decades
This Exhibition: First major exploration of HOW Frida transformed from local painter to global brand (rather than traditional retrospective of her art)
Houston City College Fashion Design Program
Program Status: Award-winning
Participating in Fashion Fusion X:
- 28 student and alumni designers
- Original garments created for runway show
- Professional competition with cash prizes
- Work displayed in major venues post-competition
Partnership: HCC + MFAH collaboration for 10 years
Practical Information
Parking: MFAH campus parking available
- Beck Parking Garage recommended (most accessible to Law Building)
- Designated parking for exhibition visitors
Hours: Museum hours vary; check MFAH website
Tickets:
- MFAH admission: $20-25 (general)
- “Frida Kahlo Exhibition Admission for Two” voucher: $48 (flexible, redeemable any date through May 17)
- Member/all-access: $20+ (includes all special exhibitions)
- Fashion Fusion X VIP seating: $35 (includes drink voucher)
Contact & Information:
- MFAH website: mfah.org
- Phone: Call museum for specific inquiries
- Parking information and campus map available on website
Food & Drinks:
- Bar available at Fashion Fusion X event
- Museum district has restaurants within walking distance
Why This Moment Matters
Houston is hosting a world-premiere exhibition that will travel to London’s Tate Modern—one of the world’s most prestigious art museums. That exhibition opens January 18. Fashion Fusion X celebrates it on January 30 with emerging designers creating contemporary couture inspired by Frida’s legacy.
This represents Houston’s cultural infrastructure at its best: world-class museum, award-winning academic program, and the resources to bring them together for something neither could accomplish alone.
Go see it. Support the designers. Witness contemporary art responding to artistic legacy.
This is what happens when cities invest in arts and culture.
