Inside the 11th Annual GARRAS Fashion Show: An Interview with Bamby Salcedo

As GARRAS celebrates its 11th year, the TransLatin@ Coalition’s iconic fashion show continues to prove that visibility can be joyful, radical, and rooted in love. The annual event—set to take place this Saturday, November 15, in West Hollywood—has become a cornerstone of trans and queer celebration, blending art, activism, and community care into one unforgettable night. Ahead of this year’s show, we sat down with TLC President and CEO Bamby Salcedo to talk about how GARRAS has evolved, the meaning behind its name, and why uplifting trans joy matters just as much as remembrance.

Bamby smiles as she looks back on how far the event has come. “…Every year since we started 11 years ago, it [GARRAS] has gotten bigger and better,” she told us. “I remember the first year when we started at a place that doesn’t exist anymore, that was called Arena—myself and Maria [Roman-Taylor—Vice President & COO], and volunteers were placing chairs, and we were, you know, carrying things.” Back then, the team relied entirely on community generosity, making do with whatever people could offer to bring the event to life. “But since then, we have evolved into actually having a real production team that helps us put everything together, making sure that our event is of a high quality.”

That evolution reflects the incredible growth of the TransLatin@ Coalition itself, which has expanded alongside GARRAS to meet the needs of its community in ever-deeper ways. “Throughout time, it’s not just the event that has grown, but also our organization. We now have over 50 staff members who are also part of our team that helps us put all of this together. And so, we have evolved as an event, but we also have evolved as an organization, and it really seems that every year it’s bigger, better…”

The name GARRAS—an acronym for Groundbreaking Activism Redirecting and Reforming All Systems—captures the dual energy of the show: fierce, creative, and unapologetically political. But as Bamby explained, its roots are layered with meaning and humor. “Initially, when we thought of the name of the fashion show, it was really because ‘garras’ in Spanish means raggedy clothes. But it also has two meanings. So it’s raggedy clothes, but also claws—the claws of a lion or an eagle. So it’s a double meaning. And so, for us, it was like, oh, this is perfect, let’s use GARRAS to showcase the art of our community.”

That mix of wordplay and purpose runs through everything TLC does. GARRAS isn’t just about fashion; it’s about reclaiming space, redefining beauty, and reshaping systems that have excluded trans and gender-diverse people for too long. “It was truly groundbreaking 11 years ago,” Bamby said. “We as an organization, through our work, do activism. We activate people, we activate ourselves, and we activate policymakers and change-makers. And so, this whole idea truly is to reform and to really change the landscape of our community, to reform systems that have oppressed us and marginalized us. For, ultimately, members of our community to have a better quality of life.”

And they have a massive impact in the lives of many. Every year, the show becomes a stage for fresh talent and bold visions, offering designers from across the country—and beyond—a platform to celebrate their art. “One of the things that is beautiful about this fashion show is that we allow the community to really showcase their art in whatever form they think is best, however they want to showcase themselves and their art,” Bamby explained. This year’s lineup, selected from nearly 40 applicants, reflects both the depth of community talent and the challenge of making tough choices. “It was really hard to make a selection of the designers because some of our friends also applied, and some of our friends have also been part of our show. We wanted to obviously give an opportunity to new talent and to people who want to showcase their art, who have not had the opportunity to participate with us. And so, this year, we have a designer coming all the way from Puerto Rico to showcase their art, and we have someone else who’s coming from Las Vegas.”

Beyond the runway, GARRAS is also a crucial fundraiser for TLC’s programs—helping meet the kinds of urgent, everyday needs that grants can’t always cover. “Many people don’t necessarily understand how the nonprofit world works,” Bamby said. “Our organization does have a multiplicity of programs and services that we have built. These are primarily funded by government entities. But sometimes the people we serve have needs that aren’t covered by those grants.”

Those needs can be as simple as a phone, toiletries, or a change of clothes—or as urgent as covering a hotel room for someone who suddenly finds themselves without housing. Sometimes, the help is even more complex: one person, Bamby recalled, needed legal documents translated for their asylum process, an expense that can run into the thousands. “The money that we fundraise through GARRAS allows us to pay for those things that are not tied to a grant. That’s why this fundraising is critical to continue to support our community.”

This year, GARRAS also introduces two $5,000 vocational scholarships to help trans and gender-expansive people continue their education, access career training, or simply afford essentials that can make all the difference; things like books, a computer, or even clothes for school or work. She acknowledged that while $5,000 may not sound like much, it can be life-changing for someone in need. “$5,000 may not be a lot, but it’s something for our community,” she said. “The importance of these [scholarships] is that they’re something that all of us—everybody who contributes to our organization, to this particular event—we fundraise and, through sponsorships and all of that, we put a little bit into this to make this happen.”

Choosing only two recipients, however, wasn’t easy. Bamby reflected on how each application carried its own beauty and power. “There were also a lot of applicants who submitted beautiful stories and very touching stories, and it seems like it’s getting harder to select people, but I wish we could give money to everyone. But unfortunately, there are also limitations with that, and I don’t ever wanna send a message that someone is better than someone else because that’s why we do this fashion show—to showcase everyone.”

At its heart, GARRAS was born from a desire to honor life, not just in remembrance of those we’ve lost, but in celebration of those still here. “When Transgender Day of Remembrance was created back in the late 90s, it was—it has always been a sad day. At least for me, it always depresses me,” Bamby said. “Because we literally name the people who have been murdered this year, and then there’s a description of how they were murdered. So, over time, it just became too much, and for me and Maria, when we first were talking about this, it was like, ‘okay, what can we do to uplift our community while we’re still here? Can we just have people feel beautiful, and feel fierce, and amazing, and, like, walk a runway, and just feel like you’re the shit?’ You know what I mean? So that’s why we do this year after year, because it’s a place where our community is empowered in more ways than one.”

That empowerment is visible on the faces of every model who takes the stage. “We literally have had people participating as models in our fashion show who have never had professional makeup done, or hair done, or even wear something that is custom-designed. And so, just to have them be part of something that they’ve never experienced is truly fulfilling.” For many, it’s not just about walking the runway, it’s about being seen, celebrated, and affirmed in their full beauty.

And while the show has grown in size and prestige, it remains powered by collaboration and community support. “The work that we do as an organization, and even through this fashion show—it is not possible if it’s not because of the collaborations and the partnerships that we have,” Bamby said. “We rely on our partners or allies to support our efforts—to believe in our work, to believe that this is a great event that not just uplifts people, but supports people to be in a better place. Particularly in these times, it’s been really hard to have all the sponsors truly participate in our fashion show. However, the ones who have stepped up and who are supporting us, they’re the ones who are saying, ‘we’re still here for you,’ and those are the ones that we value because those partners are the ones who are standing up and walking with us throughout all these difficult times.”

When we asked what audiences can expect from this year’s show, Bamby smiled knowingly. “Be ready to experience fabulosity. You’re gonna have so much fun, you’re gonna be moved in a way that you probably have not been moved before. And, most importantly, you’re gonna support a great cause, and you’re gonna support a community that continues to be oppressed and marginalized, and in these particular times, directly attacked. And so I invite everyone to come and support in whatever way possible. And show up, if you’re able to.”

For those who can’t attend, she reminded us that TLC’s work doesn’t end when the lights go down. “The show is just a piece of some of the great work that we do as an organization,” Bamby said. “We want to be a sustainable organization, an organization that is going to be here for many, many years for our communities, and so the support of people is super important. We welcome people to put us in their wills and to donate land to us, to donate whatever they can. We welcome clothes and hygiene kits. In whatever way that you can support, please support our organization, and of course, other trans-led organizations.”

Before we wrapped, we asked Bamby what ‘fashion as activism’ means to her, a question she answered with both defiance and pride. “It is an expressive way to show the world who you are as an individual and to also send a message of whatever you want to send. So, for me, fashion is just a way of expressing…” she said, “but to me, personally and particularly this year’s fashion show, is a way to say ‘F’you’ to the administration, and so that’s just it in a nutshell.”

As GARRAS enters its 11th year, that message feels as fierce and necessary as ever. For Bamby, for TLC, and for the countless lives touched by their work, the runway is more than a stage: it’s a statement of survival, pride, and power.

The 11th Annual GARRAS Fashion Show takes place this Saturday, November 15, at the Pacific Design Center in West Hollywood. For tickets and more information on how to support the TransLatin@ Coalition, visit their official website here.

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Featured Image: Image Courtesy of TLC. Photo by Paolo Riveros.