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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Pratt Graduate Fashion Show - Part Two

Part two of my coverage of the Pratt Institute's graduate fashion show focuses on the designers who brought ethnic influences and sculptured texture to their collections.

One of my favorites of the show had to be Debra Lin's group.  There were some beautiful, elaborate prints mixed with the fur, exotic skins and the dramatic shoulders of a samurai.  While the tribal and Asian influences were clear, they weren't literal. Individually, the tops, outerwear, pants, etc. were very wearable, chic pieces.  Loved this!

Alleen Garboushian mixed beautiful prints together with crochet and knit embellishments for texture.  The transparent tops mixed with thick, woolly loops and embroidery had an African vibe with the earth toned palette.

Paola Ricardo's sexy, body conscious looks were a showcase in all types of dimensional knit techniques.  The sculpted shapes that followed the contours of the body in many ways had the effect of an Amazon warrior wearing the trophies of her kills (but in a chic way!) 

Keep an eye out for these names, soon to take over a closet near you...

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