Cutting their design chops, Academy of Art University students brought new perspectives to the runway in their 2020 Spring/Summer show. Unabashed and unafraid, the University’s School of Fashion designers brought a sense of exuberance and fearlessness to their individual collections. From a jumpsuit in vegan leather to a peach taffeta hourglass shaped dress, their work was inspired by their memories, observations, and questions.
Noteworthy collections from Yue Shen and Abby Yang make each of the designers to watch. Shen, who collaborated with fellow knitwear design student Mingyang Zhang, created strong, structured, asymmetrical coats that were simultaneously enveloping and revealing. Inspired by the juxtapositions of tough and tender and beauty and struggle, Shen’s pieces channel women’s inner
strength.
There’s a whisper of Rei Kawakubo in Yang’s collection of tops with voluminous sleeves made from bunches of fabric. By stuffing the fabric with cotton, Yang created fist-like shapes that add depth to her pieces and make her sleeves visually compelling.
-Sandra Sokoloff