The Show

The Telluride AIDS Benefit (TAB) Fashion Show is an annual world-class fashion extravaganza that coincides with Telluride Fashion Week each February. TAB Fashion Week events embody a distinctive spirit of philanthropy, championing a profoundly important cause, while celebrating fashion and creativity unique to Telluride. Fashion Week events range from one-of-a-kind gallery shows, popup designer events, exclusive meet and greets with designers, free testing/education, a student fashion show benefit, and so much more. Tickets to the Gala Fashion Show, and a full list of events go live in December.

Over the past three decades, the Gala Fashion Show has transformed into a production that rivals the extravagance of New York City's Fashion Week. The TAB Gala Fashion Show showcases meticulously choreographed performances, innovative music, breathtaking artistry, elaborate stage designs, exceptional models, and, of course, an array of exquisite fashion creations. It has become a chic, refined, and awe-inspiring runway spectacle right in the heart of Telluride, Colorado.

TAB's extraordinary success has attracted generous merchandise donations from luminaries in the fashion industry, such as Elie Tahari, Kenneth Cole, and Dolce & Gabbana. The current creative team, with roots in Broadway, infuses a level of professionalism that showcases the shared passion and collective enthusiasm for the mission and caliber of the event that resonates across the global stage.  The audience comprises celebrities, influencers, emerging designers, and a sophisticated, engaged crowd that relishes the vibrant energy of the runway.

Telluride's diverse array of artists and community members from all walks of life continue to actively participate in Fashion Week. In the months leading up to the show, an exceptional volunteer team of over 200 individuals devotes thousands of hours to orchestrate the week's events. TAB's Gala Fashion Show has firmly entrenched itself as a Telluride institution, representing the apex event of the winter season and a beloved favorite among both local residents and visiting guests.

  • Laya Barak is a New York city based Director, Choreographer, and Educator. Her credits include Broadway Bares (Director 2018-2022, Choreographer 2014-2022), In The Heights Dallas Theater Center (Assistant Choreographer), Ralph Lauren Central Park fashion show 2018 (Assistant Choreographer), Alvin Ailey’s Ladies of Hip Hop Showcase (Choreographer), “We will be back” Times Square Event (Assistant Choreographer). Featured in Elle magazine, the New York Times, Playbill and Rolling Stone. As an educator Laya has taught for the Steps on Broadway pre-professional program where she trains young dancers to enter the professional world of Broadway and commercial dance.

  • LaMar began his dance training at Camden's All-City Performing Arts Program, under the direction of Angela Wright-Yelverton. From there, he attended Halliday Dance, Dance Sensations of New Jersey, Inc., and the Creative High School in Camden, NJ.

    He was a Bronze Medal Winner in the NAACP-Act So Competition for Dance. LaMar has performed for artists such as Patti LaBelle, Ben Vereen, Danny Glover, Wynton Marsalis, and Jill Scott where he was the Lead Male Dancer in her Directorial Debut Slide. LaMar played the lead male dancer in the production of, My Brotha Marvin [the Marvin Gaye story], directed by Zeola Gaye. He received his B.F.A. in Dance from the University of the Arts. Upon graduation, LaMar was an assistant to Roni Koresh and a recipient of The Choreography Award as well as the highest award given to a graduate known as the Stella Moore Award for Outstanding 4-Year Achievement and the first Alumni Award from Creative Arts High School. He is a former Principal Dancer/Rehearsal Director with Eleone Dance Theater, Rebecca Davis Dance Company.

    He has choreographed for PHILADANCO'S second and youth companies (D/2, D/3), Straight To The Pointe Dance Company, Eleone Dance Theater, Montclair High School, International Association for Blacks in Dance (IABD), Grace Dance Theater's first and second company, The School at Steps in NYC, The Broadway Star Project, Camden Contemporary Dance Theater, Loyola Marymount University, and a commercial for REEBOK!

    LaMar has performed works by choreographers such as Garth Fagan (Tony Award Winner), Christopher L. Huggins, George Faison (Tony Award Winner), Jawole Willa Jo Zollar (MacArthur Award Winner), Ronald K. Brown (Bessie Award Winner), Ray Mercer, Roni Koresh, Zane Booker, Rennie Harris (Bessie Award Winner), Scott Jovovich, Abdur-Rahim Jackson, and Hope Boykin (Bessie Award Winner) to name a few. LaMar was a member of the Philadelphia Dance Company, known as PHILADANCO! for five years and is the Associate Artistic Director of Waheed Works.

    Currently, LaMar is an Entrepreneur as an Artist Manager with Baylor Artists Managment. Also, he is an Adjunct Professor at Loyola Marymount University. He was previously a Programs Director at Conga Kids based in Los Angeles, CA. LaMar is a freelance choreographer/teacher, Cultural Ambassador/Board Member for Mindleaps (International NGO), and was a performer on Broadway in Disney's Production, The Lion King. LaMar can be seen in commercials for Disney's The Lion King and 100% Bloomingdales "Do The B-Roll" and online tutorial, Broadway.com's Gotta Dance Artist Spotlight, Out Magazine June 2015 Edition, Good Morning America, the 2013 and 2015 Tony Awards, Season 3 of Madam Secretary on CBS and All-American Homecoming. LaMar has choreographed for Arista's Award-Winning R&B Recording Artist, Monica, on BET's Black Girls Rock and a Capezio commercial featuring Life-time's Television Show, ‘Dance Moms’, Kilani Hilliker.

    LaMar holds his Masters of Science in Arts Administration from Drexel University.

It starts with passion. Each year innovation meets fashion through a unique Artistic Director and Choreographer team. This creative team puts their signature vision on the annual Gala Fashion Show, raising funds for TAB Frontline Partners.