Posted on April 7, 2026
The Jemicy School and Penn-Mar continue their Fashion Show collaboration.
A Jemicy student designer and a Penn-Mar model pose together.
Last October, students from The Jemicy School in Owings Mills traveled to New York for the debut of their documentary, “Fashion with a Purpose,” at the largest annual high school film festival, All American High School Film Festival (AAHSFF).
The documentary, produced by Jemicy’s film department, highlighted inclusion through the unique perspectives of students with language-based learning differences. It follows Penn-Mar models with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) as they share their clothing preferences, are fitted for adaptive clothing, then step onto the runway alongside the Jemicy students who helped create those designs.
Five Penn-Mar models featured in the film were even able to visit New York City for the very first time to attend the documentary screening. They traveled with Jennifer Hisey, Penn-Mar’s Community Supports Day Program Manager, and three other Penn-Mar team members.
The trip started off smoothly, but an unexpected turn changed everything.
“Unfortunately, we missed almost the entire screening because protests in Times Square caused street closures. Although we arrived in the city on time and could see the parking garage ahead, it took us nearly two hours to park the van,” Jennifer said.
Because of the delays, the Penn-Mar models made it into the theater with only minutes to spare.
They thought they had missed everything, but little did they know, they arrived at the perfect time. The music in the film shifted just as they entered the theater. On screen, Penn-Mar models were walking with confidence in adaptive designs tailored to their needs. At that exact same time in real life, those very same models walked down the aisle of the theater.
A Penn-Mar model stands while Jemicy designers take measurements on her outfit.
As the models made their way to their seats, a quiet rumble moved through the audience. One of the models looked up at the screen and called out, “That’s me!”
“It was so impactful,” said August DiMucci, Jemicy art teacher, who attended alongside the student filmmakers. “That’s when it hit all of us. It just hit all of our hearts and made us teary-eyed.”
After the screening, the groups reconnected downstairs. There were hugs, photos, and a lot of catching up. For some, it had been more than a year since they had last seen one another.
“The loving reaction from the students was an amazing moment for the people we support,” said Jennifer. “The ones who saw themselves on the big screen were so excited. They felt like movie stars! It was a beautiful moment for all of us and one that we would have missed had we arrived on time as planned.”
This year’s annual Penn-Mar x Jemicy Inclusive Fashion Show is coming up quickly. It’s scheduled for April 10 at the Jemicy Upper School Auditorium, where 14 Penn-Mar models will be walking the runway in personalized adaptive clothing styled by 12 amazingly talented Jemicy School fashion designers.
The 2026 collection embraces the theme “rhinestone chic,” reflecting many models’ interest in Western-style clothing. The lineup will feature rhinestone accents, floral prints, fringed jackets, cowboy hats and belts, and lots of recycled denim donated by the Jemicy community.
New this year – the Fashion Show is open to the public as a free event. If you can’t attend in person, the show will also be live streamed on Penn-Mar’s Facebook Live. We can’t wait to see you there, whether that’s in-person or digitally!