BART is staging an avant-garde farewell to its classic paper tickets with a fashion show that promises to be as quirky as it is sustainable. According to KRON4, the show, cheekily titled "Project Doneway," will roll out on September 14 in the Rockridge station parking lot from 1 to 3 p.m., showcasing the innovative designs of Bay Area fashion students.

Fittingly coinciding with Transit Month festivities, this peculiar event not only bids adieu to the antiquated form of fare but taps into the creative minds of those who rely on BART the most — the students. And while paper might not be the first fabric you'd reach for in your closet, these burgeoning designers have been tasked with the inventive challenge of turning thousands of retired tickets into runway-ready outfits. In a statement obtained by BART, Chief Communications Officer Alicia Trost remarked, "Our paper ticket designs have long shown up in artistic Bay Area cultural references."

The free event ups the ante with a live DJ, a judging panel, and a runway for models, making sure attendees won't just be spectators but part of a flamboyant celebration of transit and tailoring. Beyond the inherent cool factor of the fashion show, BART enthusiasts and daily commuters alike can engage with several BART-related events bubbling across the Bay Area throughout September, including concerts, bar crawls, and hikes, as part of Transit Month.

While "Project Doneway" carves out its niche in the calendar, it also harkens back to the creativity displayed nearly a decade ago when designer Sean Porter crafted a dress from the same BART paper tickets. Given Porter's inspiration, Trost said, according to the KRON4 interview, this event is her way of engaging "Bay Area youth in BART through artistic engagement".