The School of Fashion at Academy of Art University chose 12 student designers to debut their thesis collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week this year. Since 2005, the School of Fashion has premiered the collections of students and recent graduates during New York Fashion Week.
“We are committed to helping our students launch their careers, and as a part of that commitment we are thrilled to give students the opportunity to present their work to industry professionals,” said Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University. “It is an incredible opportunity for each designer to debut their collection during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.”
“This group of designers have gone back to the essence of what the fashion designer should do, focusing on proportion and silhouette development as opposed to decoration,” said Simon Ungless, Executive Director of the School of Fashion. “I see them as a collaborative Le Corbusier moving towards a new fashion sense of the architecture of clothes. I see what they are producing as a shift in fashion that will not doubt become an influence on trend in future seasons.”
You can view the full show here: http://www.academyart.edu/fashionshow/webcast
In addition, for the first time in advance of the fashion show, Academy of Art University will host a fashion symposium. The symposium, entitled 180 Degrees of Style, will be held on September 6th at 3:00 PM at The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts in the Bruno Walter Auditorium. Keanan Duffty, Senior Director of Fashion Merchandising, will be joined by internationally renowned fashion photographer Nigel Barker for a discussion on their experiences in the fashion industry, building a brand, and key takeaways for success in the world of fashion. For more information visit http://on.nypl.org/1lRSlwm.
Die Zhou, M.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from Wuhan, China.
Die holds a B.S. Degree in Engineering in Gem and Material Technology and before beginning work on her M.F.A. Degree she acted as Executive Editor for Blue Sock Publishing Company in Taiwan. For her Spring 2015 collection, Die took her inspiration from nature, translating the lines and shapes associated with butterflies into the silhouettes of her garments. The collection is focused around a light, fresh pastel color story and is executed in cotton-blend twill.
Mia Jianxia Ji, M.F.A. Fashion and Knitwear Design, grew up in Shangrao in the Jiangxi province of China.
Mia’s design skills have earned her recognition on many occasions; in 2010 she won an honorary award in an international design competition held by the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and Paris American Academy (PAA), and in 2008 she was a Second Degree scholarship winner in the
Creative Sketch Competition held by her B.F.A. alma mater, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Mia’s collection, which she has named “SILHOUKNIT,” uses the texture of knitted fabrics to evoke the shapes and feelings of Ana Rajcevic’s art
collection “Animal - The Other Side Of Evolution.”
Madison Detro, M.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in Los Altos, California.
Before pursuing her graduate degree in fashion, Madison earned her undergraduate degree in Architecture. During her fashion design internship at Yigal Azrouel she gained experience designing, styling and prepping the Fall 2014 collections. Madison’s Spring 2015 collection is fabricated mostly from lambskin leathers and calf suede, and explores geometries and imbalance as a catalyst for beauty. Intrigued by
the oddities in Le Corbusier's architectural work, Madison’s designs are reminiscent of the angles found in the architect’s famous chapel Notre Dame du Haut de Ronchamp.
Szu Chi Huang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from Taiwan where, before coming to Academy of Art University, she completed a B.A. in Costume Design.
Her background in costumes led Szu to be inspired by traditional Japanese samurai armor. Szu’s collection translates her inspiration into modern fashion by using innovative construction techniques to achieve the three-dimensional feeling of armor that has been compiled from many small pieces. Szu used origami-folding techniques on leather and wove grosgrain ribbon in mesh fabric to mimic the woven texture of the samurai garments. The simple black and white color palette of her collection is a nod to traditional Japanese ink paintings and calligraphy.
Wei Bai, M.F.A. Fashion Design, grew up in Chongqing, China.
Having completed a B.F.A. in Fine Arts and Graphic and Web Design, Wei worked as a graphic designer before undertaking her graduate degree in fashion. Wei’s collection features tomboyish, tailored silhouettes that are evocative of the neo-Edwardian Teddy Boy
style that became popular in 1950s England. Garments are constructed in one-piece, although many give the illusion that they are separates.
A collaborative Spring 2015 menswear collection was created by seven designers:
About Academy of Art University
With more than 18,000 students, Academy of Art University is the largest accredited private art and design university in the nation. Founded in 1929, the school offers accredited AA, BA, BFA, B.Arch*, MA, MFA, and M.Arch degree programs in 26 areas of study, as well as continuing art education, pre-college art experience programs, and teacher grants. Classes are available in Acting, Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture, Art Education, Art History, Art Teaching Credential, Fashion, Fashion Journalism, Fashion Styling, Fine Art, Game Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial Design (Transportation & Product Design), Interior Architecture & Design, Jewelry & Metal Arts, Landscape Architecture, Motion Pictures & Television, Multimedia Communications, Music Production & Sound Design for Visual Media, Photography, Studio Production for Advertising & Design, Visual Development, Web Design & New Media, and Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media. Students can also enroll in flexible online degree programs in most areas of study. Academy of Art University is an accredited member of WASC, NASAD, CIDA (BFAIAD, MFA-IAD), NAAB (B.Arch1, M.Arch) and CTC (California Teacher Credential).
- Asiyat Tsalikova, M.F.A. Fashion Design, from Baku, Azerbaijan Republic;
- Max Lu, M.F.A. Fashion Design, from Taipei, Taiwan;
- Liz Li, M.F.A. Fashion Design, from Shanghai, China;
- Jihyun Kim, M.F.A. Fashion Design Menswear, from Seoul, South Korea;
- Jingci Wang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, from China;
- Yin Yang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, from Chongqing, China; and
- Yaqiong Zhou, M.F.A. Fashion Design, from Changsha, Hunan, China.
