At last night’s Belle Epoque City College of San Francisco annual fashion show, hundreds of guests watched as an imaginative display of work from 29 fashion students paraded down a raised runway flanked by red-and-white-striped curtains befitting the evening’s retro circus theme.

The sheer variety of looks defined the show, whose segments ranged from a millinery-driven opener dubbed "Coco Before Chanel" to the finale, featuring garments done exclusively in black and white.

Donned by smoky-eyed student models, pieces ranged from easily wearable, cocktail-length dresses to sparkling, special-occasion formals with hand-painted details and you-better-have-the-body-for-it swimwear featuring mesh and cut-out panels. Standouts from the evening included Elisangela Davis’s floor-length black taffeta gown with an elegant front bow, Andrea Candell’s fringe-adorned little black dress and Caroline Jacopy’s brown and pink Edith Piaf-inspired dress.

For Jacopy, the evening held more than a chance to show her latest work. The French native, who is in her fourth semester at City College, was honored at the evening’s outset with the coveted award of a four-year scholarship to the Academy of Art University.