The Art Institutes Fall 2015

 Twelve student and alumni designers from The Art Institutes displayed their work on the NYFW runways. I find that each design school has a distinct look. For The Art Institutes, the silhouettes were easier, draped, more fabric focused than silhouette-focused than schools like FIT or Parsons.

Colors were muted. There were different shades of grey, neutral black and white, brown, mustard. Even their pop colors of red or orange were dark and muddied. The looks on the catwalk were shown to highlight the properties of the materials. Whether it was the sheen of laminated check fabric or the drape of a silk or the hefty texture of over-sized crochet sweaters.

Mentors for this collection of designers included Douglas Hannant, Thuy Diep, Calvin Klein Intimates designer David Siedlarczyk and Daniela Anastasio Bardazzi, creative director over Etienne Aigner. The designers themselves included representatives of different Art Institutes locations. Some of the designers included from Grace Ahn of Dallas, Daniela Ramirez of San Francisco, Parker Trumble of Miami to Jamaree Eimmanassakul of Vancouver.

The deeper theme of the collection looked to be that every look was more than meets the eye. Fabric was manipulated into shapes that would not naturally be achieved. Intricate sewing that had to be executed with surgical precision due to its sheer properties. 

Congratulations to The Art Institutes Fashion Design class of 2015 and good luck in whatever city you hail from.

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Pratt Fashion 2015 - Laboratory

Congratulations to Pratt's fashion design class of 2015. Last Thursday, designer Sophie Andes Gascon took home the Cotton Inc. award and Claire McKinney won top honors from the senior class' prestigious Liz Claiborne award. Actress Rose Byrne attended the event to present Calvin Klein's design director Francisco Costa with the Visionary Award.

Pratt fashion design graduates executed experiments in the laboratory of style

The theme for this year was "Laboratory". You could see this interpreted in each of the student collections. There were exercises in fabric manipulations or treatments from designers like Giovanna Flores and Shani Starinski. Avant-garde materials and surface embellishments were used by designers like Lauren Nahigian and Chantal Galipeau. Creators tested different draping techniques and pushed the boundaries of clothing silhouettes as seen in the collections of Landry Low and Katya Reily.

Liz Claiborne winner Claire McKinney's collection was a study of denim. Perhaps a response to all of the surface treated skinny jeans dominating the industry in recent years, her group were filled with big, easy silhouettes. Some were boxy, more masculine or loose and comfortable. Accessories and unique garments showcased the interior construction details as exterior design elements.

While FIT's graduate show showcases the Future of Fashion in terms of the designers, The Pratt Fashion Show 2015 approach was to show it through the clothing execution itself. Both design philosophies show a lot of promise. Good luck graduates!
Photos courtesy of Pratt Institute

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Supima Design Competition: A 2014 Winner!

Fashion designer Anastasia Iafrate was named the winner of the Supima Cotton Design Competition at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with the award presented by supermodel Coco Rocha. The intensive contest pitted the best fashion talent from the Academy of Art University, FIDM, FIT, Kent State University, SCAD and the Rhode Island School of Design.

Iafrate named her winning collection “White Nights of St. Petersburg" after her native home in Russia. Using what she considered a casual cotton fabric, she created regal evening wear with beautiful flourishes.

Beijing born Ou Ma graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology as a knit designer. Her dreamy, cloud-like collection was actually an exploration in mental illness and emotional recovery
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Yuxi Bi from the Savannah College of Design is also from China. She created her romantic evening wear collection inspired by the texture of fine Supima fabrics.

Jenny Hoang represented the Academy of Art University. Her collection had a somber color palette. Her design work specializes in denim and cotton. Her theme for this group was "transformation".

Sharon Moon earned her BFA from RISD. Her gorgeous collection was inspired by the look of decaying flowers. She used a modern approach to create that aesthetic using an intricate laser cutting technique on strong cotton fibers.

David Lee is a West Coast-based designer representing the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. His collection had bold color blocked seams that flattered the curves of a woman's body.

The winner of the Supima Design Competition receives a $10000 prize. The more valuable opportunity though, is the chance for finalists to show their collection at New York Fashion Week at Lincoln Center. What I enjoy is the fresh talent that shows me new possibilities that a common fiber like cotton can bring. Great work designers!
photos by Mariana Leung

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