Farewell Frank Rizzo

Sadly, the fashion establishment of New York said goodbye to one of its mentors Frank Rizzo this week. He was the outgoing dean of the fashion department when I entered it at the Parson School of Design. He was warm, enthusiastic and excited to meet the new talent coming in.

He was an early mentor of many of today's fashion icons, like Isaac Mizrahi, Donna Karan and Marc Jacobs, Parsons alumni before me. Rizzo was a student himself. He had graduated in 1957 then returned to teach in 1966. Like many professors I had at Parsons, he also worked full time in the industry at the same time. For him, he worked as a bridal designer. He took over as dean in 1982.

Our first day in the fashion department, everyone had an opportunity to meet with him one-on-one. All of us entering fashion were nervous and hoped to make a good impression. We all knew of the legends who graduated before us. When it was my time to meet with him, I tried very hard to seem mature, talk about my goals and (incredibly limited) credentials. I was devastated when he smiled and pinched both my cheeks like a kindly grandfather to tell me how adorable I was. I realized I had failed miserably.

Parsons School of Design of the 1980s-1990's was still very much focused on preparing students for "7th Avenue". The American fashion industry was mainly about sportswear, career wear and appealing to department store buyers. Thus, design students were often directed into creating fashion collections with this target. This didn't necessarily make for an exciting fashion show at graduation, at least in the minds of outside sponsors.

Mr. Rizzo brought in legendary costume designer Donald Brooks to mentor groups of students interested in fantasy costume design. I remember the first year I watched the show before entering the department; it was about giant flowers. In my graduating year, Donald Brooks mentored the theme of "Sabrina" with everyone designing big fantasy vintage styled pink gowns. The costume display always closed out the show. Today's Parsons Fashion Show, the students have a lot more freedom and creative autonomy, so there isn't a rigid sportswear or costume category they are slotted into. They are encouraged to forge their brand and artistic statement.

Frank Rizzo's passing is a huge loss to the American fashion community. It also represents the change of how designers were once trained to get jobs in the industry through their portfolio and professionalism. Now they are prepared to launch their brands with the help of technology and social media. Frank Rizzo's warm nature and respect for all dreamers also showed me how classic style will always be in vogue.

More from Ms. Fabulous:

Remembering Oscar de la Renta

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Academy of Art University's Class of 2015

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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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
. 
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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Organic Matter: Pratt & Pucci Collaboration

Think your sweater is exciting? Fashion design students from the Pratt Institute worked with designer Ralph Pucci on an innovative knitwear project at Gallery Nine in New York City.  Ralph Pucci has created a specialized mannequin collection.  The design students were tasked with making organic, wearable art using neutral colored yarns to complement the body form muse.

The exhibit was a competition among the 30 looks in the exhibit and will be judged by some of the design world's elite like textile designer Dana Barnes, architect Patrick Naggar and photographer Diego Uchitel.

I like this exhibit for how it blends multiple forms of product design together and treats the clothing as sculpture.  The unprocessed colors of the yarns used and the sprawling, organic looks of the knits achieve a vibe of clothing that seems alive on the mannequin.

Designers pictured above include Kiet Tran, Kimi Lee, Meghan O'Sullivan, Chantal Galipeau, Katherine Daskas and Kat Holland.

The exhibit runs until Tuesday, January 28 at Gallery Nine, 44 West 18^th Street, New York, NY.
Photos by Sam Stuart

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Parsons Fashion Show - Accessories

The graduating class of Parsons School of Design students held their finale show Tuesday. I have a very long list of photographs that I need to edit from the runway show. In the meantime, I wanted to showcase the accessories designers that were on display outside of the auditorium.

Fanciful platforms with avant-garde heels dominated the shoe category. Mixed colors, patterns and structures elevated the footwear into high art.

In handbags, Coach and Li & Fung were major sponsors. Thus, the purses on display were a mix of practical, functional and highly fashionable. Creativity blossomed in the mixed materials and treatments. There were some interesting frames and multi seamed silhouettes that would look perfect on the shelves of Bergdorf's or Bendel's!

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Pratt Fashion Design Graduate Show 2012

Last Thursday night, the fashion industry's top mentor gathered in the front row to cheer on the design talent of the Pratt Institute's graduating class. Champion to all of NY fashion, Fern Mallis was honored at the event, with Calvin Klein handing her the award. Stan Herman, Hamish Bowles also chatted up their favorites to the industry and family crowd.

The evening started with a video of testimonials of designers who had been inspired by Ms. Mallis. She was one of the founders of 7th on 6th (now Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week), founding board member of DIFFA and a warrior to bring International awareness to American designers.

The design student's collections on the runway showcased a diverse vision of style. A few favorites:

Dana Hurwitz brought the use of mixed media to elegant heights with fur and vinyl. Kelsy Carleen Parkhouse brought a quaint homestyle look to her collection with quilted details in updated fashion silhouettes. Beatrice Weiland showed she knew how to brand a collection. She used urban silhouettes and bold, graphic prints with her name incorporated into them for her group. Kate Wilkoff's sophisticated collection was a study in dressmaker details. She used delicate pleating, trapunto stitching and light as air carwash fringe for an elegant evening look. Meredith Lyon took a strong social message and managed to communicate it in a witty, but chic collection. Her PSA against smoking used strategic graphics and a great cigarette print. She gave new meaning to cigarette pants, seamed like actual cigarettes, while maintaining their signature silhouette.

See the rest below:

Photos by Mariana Leung

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