Since 2005, Academy of Art University School of Fashion has premiered the collections of recent graduates during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. For Spring/Summer 2013 show, there were eight women’s wear collections, two of which are collaborations between Fashion and Textile Design students, and one collaborative collection sponsored by UBIFRANCE, the French Trade Commission.
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The common thread for all the designers showcased was the bold graphics and clean silhouettes. These emerging designers have bright futures and their creations reflect their art education background while showing modern innovation. All of the nine featured designers are women including five from Asia.
Take note of the featured designers as I am sure you will be hearing more about them in seasons to come.
Jie Jessie Liu was born and raised in Penglai, in the Shandong Province. At Academy of Art University, she earned a M.F.A. in Fashion Design. Her collection is inspired by the artist Anish Kapoor, known for his geometric, streamlined sculptures and installations, which she interpreted in the garments’ sharp lines and angular silhouettes. She partnered with fellow Art Academy alum Serbian textile designer Tanja Milutinovic to create bold graphic looks.
Designer Jisun Lee hails from Seoul, South Korea. She earned a M.F.A. in Textile and Fashion Design from the Academy. For her textile design work, Lee was honored as an Emerging Talent in Stylesight’s Spring/Summer 2013 Prints and Graphics competition. For Spring 2013, Lee looked to 1920s men’s suits. She reinterpreted the silhouettes, maintaining an over-sized look, and experimented with collar and lapel structures. Her textile designer is Bronx native Liza Quiñones provided gorgeous jewel-toned color palette perfect for day or night. Lisa also earned a B.F.A. in Textile Design from Academy of Art University.
Iglika Vasileva Matthews is originally from Bulgaria, where she earned a B.F.A. in Textile Design from Varna Free University. She earned her M.F.A. degree in Fashion Design, and previously debuted her work as part of the Italian Trade Commission Collection at the University’s Spring 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week show. For her Spring 2013 collection, Matthews drew inspiration from buildings designed by architect Zaha Hadid. Hadid’s structures often create an illusion of movement in static objects, which Matthews succeeded in replicating in her collection. Her standout looks was a head to toe white leather ensemble embellished with studs for added edge.
Yanfei Fan was born and raised in Shijianhuang, in the Hebei province of China. She earned a B.F.A. in Fashion Design from Hebei Normal University before pursuing a M.F.A. degree in Fashion Design at Academy of Art University. When creating her Spring 2013 collection, Fan was inspired by the windows in modern buildings, including their repetitive patterns, angular shapes, and the transparency of the glass. You can see the inspiration in the diamond pattern of a classically styled black and white blouse.
Ginie C. Y. Huang was born and raised in Taiwan and for her Spring 2013 collection she was inspired by the work of Ninagawa Mika, one of Japan’s most popular photographers. Huang was inspired by the feeling that Mika’s images invoke – a feeling of being completely immersed in the colors. Her collection included looks inthe trendy neon palette of lime green, hot pink and bright yellow and orange.
Stephina Touch was raised in Bakersfieldand while earning her M.F.A. in Fashion Design at Academy of Art University, she worked as intern at gr.dano, creating patterns and producing samples as well as finished garments. Touch looked to traditional Asian architecture when designing her Spring 2013 collection gleaning inspiration from the clean lines and tiled roofs. Her all white collection was sophisticated with modern lowered waistlines that manged to be slouchy yet elegant..
Jarida Karnjanasirirat is currently pursuing a M.F.A in Fashion Design Academy of Art University. For her Spring 2013 collection, Jarida wanted to mimic the structure of relief sculptures – in which elements of the sculpture are raised from the background. She created three dimensional collars, lapels, and bow-ties, bringing her inspiration to life in her garments. Her pale tones work to highlight the engineered details like the attached long-ties. adding even more glamour to the menswear looks.