Teen’s designs showcased

La Cañada resident Brittany Tom took her interest in fashion to new heights when three of her creations recently were showcased in runway shows at Art Center College of Design’s south campus in Pasadena.

A junior from Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, Tom was one of several area teen designers to take the Saturday High class geared especially to high school students.

Tom, who first used a sewing machine only two years ago, loved the rigor of the class, which included making and cutting her own patterns, learning about fabric properties, and sewing the designs into finished fashions. She only occasionally hit a snag.

“I was sewing a zipper into one of my dresses and the needle snapped and hit me right in the face,” she recalled. “It didn’t ruin my dress, but I needed to fix my machine.”

Inspired by Project Runway and Harper’s Bazaar magazine, Tom designed red, yellow and blue dresses, and used FSHA classmates Sheena Chettiar and Bianca Juarros as models. She helped them accessorize, do their makeup, fix their hair and change backstage for the three runway shows.

Tom plans to major in fashion design at college, and will keep the dresses as part of her portfolio.