What does the future of fashion look like? Despite their busy schedules, top editors flock to the runways of talented fashion students for a fresh look. I found that the Academy of Art University fashion show at NYFW has a distinct aesthetic as other design schools do.
The strengths of the designers of the Academy of Art University is all in their treatment of textiles. Designer Paulina Susana Romero Valdez incorporated beautiful thread embroideries onto more conservative suiting fabrics and leather.
The collections of Tam Nguyen, Han Teng, Andrea Nyberg and Kevin C. Smith were all about the different effect of hand dyed fabric. Famaz Golnam, Erin Milosevich and Xiaowei Liu manipulated the fabrics themselves into wearable, draped sculptures that looked perfectly suited to well, suits. Xue Yang and Oom Terdpravat created wearable fashion that collaged different textiles and weights into a cohesive look. Stella Xingyu Hu knitted volume into over-sized menswear sweaters that radiated colors on the runway. Contrasting fabric prints upon prints were put together by the team of Emannuele Ciara Jones and Ghazeleh Kalifeh.
Is fashion art? The tough part about designing a collection at art college is balancing marketability vs. creative innovation. All the details of creating a collection from start to finish is a lot for someone to take on, so the designers that can work in teams are that much stronger. I remember picking out an Academy of Art graduate as my top choice to win when I was helping cast NBC's Fashion Star on their first season. It turns out, she did win. This school has been a staple at NYFW for the past few years and clearly belongs there.
Photos by David TW Leung
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