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When people think of art classes in high school, most think of watercolors, pastels, and maybe clay. But in Ms. Pickett’s classroom, students walk into an in-house fashion studio. Students aren’t just designing clothes in Pickett’s fashion class— they’re learning how to sew, fix their clothes, and think differently about what they wear.

Tahkhyrah Pickett is one of Butler College Prep’s newest additions, and she brings with her a background in communication, visual art, and fashion. Her programs at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign focused on hands-on studio work. She came to Butler this year as the fashion elective teacher and has been helping students develop baseline skills to create mock-ups of workwear, activewear, and accessories, using everyday materials like plastic and duct tape.

“In college, I took a class called Experimental Fashion Design, and it completely changed how I saw clothing and creativity… it made me fall in love with pushing boundaries, rethinking what fashion can be, and using clothing as a form of storytelling and self-expression,” Pickett said, “Since then, I’ve shaped my teaching around fashion design, blending technical skills with creativity, identity, and real-life application.”

Anything can be considered “fashionable”, but individual style has levels, not limits, Pickett said. She invites her students to experiment with things that people don’t typically put together. At the same time, she teaches students traditional rules, such as “timeless style” and common fashions that most people add to their closets. Students are also exposed to industry terms like functional, branding identity, and high-fashion aesthetic. Her units of study start with Grind Gear, where students learn to build functional fashion accessories—inspired by workwear—using duct tape. One of the later units, From the Block to the Runway, focuses on students drawing and designing streetwear that reflects cities and local style culture.

Her student, Izayah, said her class has really changed his understanding of art and design.

“I could definitely say that when you design clothes and things, you don’t always need to involve fabric, like denim or something…you can make clothes out of a whole bunch of different things… tape, plastic bags, all type of stuff,” The sophomore said.

Pickett says that experimental and wearable fashion shows up in her lessons through projects that encourage students to add personal details and even tell stories through their designs. She wants them to understand that fashion isn’t just about trends; it’s about “expression, problem-solving, and creativity.”

Another one of her students, Hailey, describes a project they completed earlier this school year: “I think my favorite project was the duct tape project…she wanted us to make sure that we could use what we made and to incorporate different colors, make sure it looked nice. It was very beginner-friendly, starting out, especially since we have a lot of freshmen in the class. I made a little purse, and everything actually held up. It was fun.”

The class has also been particularly meaningful to Hailey: “I’ve always loved fashion as a kid. My Nana got me into it, so having this class in school really helps, especially since I want to do it as I get older…” She said.

As art has declined across the country over the past three decades, classes just like Pickett’s are more important than ever. Studies have shown a strong link between arts education and critical thinking, increased tolerance and empathy, and higher motivation to engage with the arts and culture ().?

Pickett’s class allows students to ignite critical thinking and boost confidence as they break fashion rules and challenge trendy looks—whether on canvas or paper crewneck—using color, patterns, and texture. She’s hoping to lay the foundations to spark anyone’s curiosity about fashion and continue building a creative environment for students where their ideas can come to life.

“I help them find their inspiration through reflection, discussion, visual research, and hands-on experimentation. When a student who says, ‘I’m not creative,’ ends up proud of something they made, it’s powerful. Those moments remind me why I teach and why creative spaces matter so much for young people,” Pickett said.