Since 2005, the School of Fashion has premiered the collections of recent graduates during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. For the Spring 2013 show, there will be 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.
Here is a sneak peek of some of the designers showing under the tents:
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.
Ginie C. Y. Huang was born and raised in Taiwan and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business
Administration from Taipei National University, before coming to Academy of Art University to earn her M.F.A. degree in Fashion Design. Her work was previously shown at the University’s Spring 2012 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week show, as part of the Italian Trade Commission Collection. Her Spring 2013 collection 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.
Iglika Vasileva Matthews is originally from Bulgaria, where she earned a B.F.A. in Textile Design from Varna Free University. She came to Academy of Art University to earn 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 structure
Jarida Karnjanasirirat is from Bangkok, Thailand, and earned a bachelor’s degree from Thammasat University before coming to Academy of Art University to pursue a master’s degree in Fashion Design. She has interned with the N.I.C.E. Collective in San Francisco, assisting the design team with patterns, graphic print designs, and sample construction. For her Spring 2013 collection, Karnjanasirirat 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 pleats, bringing her inspiration to life in her garments.
Jie Jessie Liu was born and raised in Penglai, in the Shandong Province of China, and earned her B.F.A. in Accounting from York University in Canada. At Academy of Art University, she has earned her M.F.A. in Fashion Design. Liu’s designs were also presented at the University’s Spring 2012 Fashion Show as part of the Italian Trade Commission Collection, and she earned second place in the Inspired by Vitamin Water design competition that was judged former Project Runway finalist Mondo Guerra. Liu collaborated with Textile Designer Tanja ilutinovic for her Spring 2013 collection. She was 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.
Jisun Lee hails from Seoul, South Korea. She earned a B.F.A. in English Language and Literature from Chung Ang University before coming to Academy for her M.F.A. in Fashion and Textile Design. 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 for women’s wear, maintaining an oversized look, and experimented with collar and lapel structures
Stephina Touch was raised in Bakersfield, California and attended California State University Bakersfield, earning a B.A. in Business Management. 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.
For the seventh season, the show will be streamed live at: http://www.academyart.edu/fashionshow/
Of course we will bring you a full runway report from the show. Stay tuned!
