Academy of Art University out of San Francisco presented 10 different student collections as a part of its Spring 2014 Collection at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at the Theatre on Friday evening. Since 2005, the School of Fashion has premiered the collections of students and recent graduates during Fashion Week.
According to the program, “Part of our commitment to our students is to help launch their careers and have their work seen by industry professionals. Debuting these designers’ collections during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center is an incredible opportunity for each of them,” said Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University.
In addition to the runway show, for the ninth season, the show was streamed live at http://www.academyart.edu/fashionshow/webcast so people from across the country could experience Fashion Week even if they weren’t directly present.
The show featured womenswear and menswear collections and though disparate collections, each designer seemed to be conveying the idea of the classes – from pauper/monk inspired shirts on the men in neutral/nudes and flow pants to unpolished Japanese kimono style looks and futuristic space galaxy type sleeves on garments. The collections were all a bit androgynous, with menswear on women still trending as well as the futuristic element present in several of other designers’ Spring 2014 collections.
Didvik Kuang, B.F.A. Menswear, showcased six looks on the male models with the idea of the lower class man with oversized shirts and double leg pants, short jackets and short pants, suede t-shirts also paired with the double leg pants and a final look featuring a long coat in the same muted colors with the same pant. According to his style sheet, his collection was inspired by Girgio Armani’s wardrobe in the 1980s movie, American Gigolo, with a lounge wear theme. His collection utilized linen, blended wool, nylon and suede with this “pajama like aesthetic.”
The second designer, Gwen Shihyao Lai, M.F.A. Fashion Design, featured six women’s wear looks utilizing suits with printed button down shirts. Program notes shared that her collection was inspired by Filipino artist, Thaddeus Ochoa Pagaduan with a special focus on the pleating of the collection’s cotton, linen, silk and ikat fabrics as the artist used tree bark for many of his inspirations. “The collection’s bleaching represents the sunlight and fire from nature.”
Marine Rongrong Weig, B.F.A. Menswear Design, presented her collection which was inspired by vintage crafted clothing during the time of the Great Depression. Like Kuang, neutral colors were a staple of the collection and she played with the idea of how people combined different textures and weights during the period – including oversized silhouettes as seen throughout the show with the various designers.
Shanshan Bai, M.F.A. Fashion Design, focused her collection on the natural curling lines of floral panels and the continuous twisting of sculptured surfaces. Her designs were constructed using a blend of silk gazar and wool and linen yarn. She collaborated with Winbo Shiau (below).
Winbo Shiau, M.F.A. Fashion Design and Knitwear Design, who collaborated with Shanshan Bai, utilized the idea of street-chic ready to wear with traditional woven knitwear in sculpted jackets and bomber jackets, vests and knot sweaters and sweatshirts.
Leslie Dilloway, B.F.A. Menswear Design, featured a series of button down shirts with pleats and drawstrings, similar to that of Kuang’s laid back inspiration. Her collection came from ethnic Turkish prints and textures infused with a ‘90s grunge feel. She noted, “Her muse was a fictional Turkish cab driver in London in the late 1980s-early 1990s who is mysterious and carefree.”
Vicken Derderian, M.F.A. Fashion Design, explored the connection between fashion and architecture with more futuristic looks including an envelope sleeve dress, backless and tank dresses (one fashioned to almost channel angel wings), wide sleeve tops (again, oversized), and an A-line dress with the same envelope inspiration.
Ryan Morar, B.F.A. Menswear Design, like Dilloway, got inspiration from the early 1980s era – specifically citing Sonic Youth and Beat Happening albums as a driving force behind his collection. He noted that elements of his garments were deconstructed to create different shapes and new silhouettes and give a raw, free form aesthetic to the collection.
Melissa Avalos, B.F.A. Textile Design collaborated with Morar and utilized the “old-school hip hop” as the inspiration for her textile designs in the collection including a variety of painted shirts, skirt pants, t-shirts and coats.
Nika Tang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, like Derderian, played with the idea of silhouettes and hers was of the sunfish with the fabric reflecting a “texture of caviar eggs.” She also cited inspiration from the stone carvings of realism artist Kris Kuski, designs of Swiss architect Mario Botta, and the sculpture of South Korean artist Byoungho Kim. Her collection featured ruffles on tanks, skirts, dresses and capes using macramé and tailoring techniques, taking the opposite of the otherwise oversized, menswear inspirations.
These new designers are certain to make a mark in the near future, including several who are already working at prominent design houses including Uniqlo, the Four Seasons and a feature in the Fourth Edition of Emerging Fashion Designers for Spring 2014.