Gladys Perint Palmer’s Presentation on the Paris Haute Couture Shows

We hope you all enjoyed yesterday’s presentation by Gladys Perint Palmer! The Executive Director of the School of Fashion recounted her experiences from the Fall/Winter Haute Couture shows in Paris this past summer and shared a few tidbits from the fun at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

The insightful presentation took students behind the scenes of the maisons de haute couture in Paris. This past July, Gladys took a tour of Atelier Lesage, a famed embroidery workshop that creates beautiful embroideries for many of the top houses including Chanel, Dior, and Givenchy. This “backstage pass” was arranged by Laure du Pavillon, formerly of Christian Lacroix, who was an honored guest of the school last May. According to GPP (and we must agree), it is this dedication to preserve these types of traditional crafts that makes Paris THE center of fashion – where it is still an art. Du Pavillon recommended School of Fashion graduate Hyunjeon Jeong for an internship at Atelier Lesage, after he saw her work at the annual Graduation Fashion Show. After a rigorous screening process, she was offered the position at the Atelier.

Delicately embroidered chiffon; Inspiration boards at the Atelier
Delicately embroidered chiffon and inspiration boards at the Atelier
Left - Stitching the beautiful embroidery; Right - The School of Embroidery next to the Atelier
Stitching the beautiful embroidery and the School of Embroidery next to the Atelier

Follow the jump for more!

Gladys shared photographs and illustrations from the Haute Couture shows – images of beautiful clothes, the front-row celebrities, and the wonderful drawings that show her take on fashion and the people who wear it.

The Women of Vogue: Anna Wintour, the frenetic feet of Anna and Franca Sozzani (Italian Vogue), Grace Coddington
The Women of Vogue: Anna Wintour, the frenetic feet of Anna and Franca Sozzani (Italian Vogue), Grace Coddington
Karlie Kloss as a clown at Dior
Karlie Kloss as a clown at Dior
Seeing Red at Alexandre Vauthier
Seeing Red at Alexandre Vauthier
Volume at Iris van Herpen
Volume at Iris van Herpen
Cameron Silver of Decades (in L.A.) - Pretty in Pink from head to toe (or sole)
Cameron Silver of Decades (in L.A.) - Pretty in Pink from head to toe (or sole)
A beautifully embroidered train at Chanel, made by Atelier Lesage and the Kaiser himself
A beautifully embroidered train at Chanel, made by Atelier Lesage and the Kaiser himself

Gladys also told stories from her experience in New York at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. As most of you know, “Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week used fashion illustrations by Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of the School of Fashion at Academy of Art University, in the event branding by Almeter Design for the Spring 2012 shows at Lincoln Center. This will be the second season as Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week used her illustrations for their Fall 2011 event branding.” One of the most exciting events of the week – the NYPD stopped traffic on Columbus Ave. to pose for a picture with Gladys and her banners.

The original drawings Gladys created for Mercedes-Benz Fahsion Week
The original drawings Gladys created for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Banners line the streets in NYC
Banners line the streets in NYC
Gladys and the fine men of the NYPD
Gladys and the fine men of the NYPD

At the end of the presentation, Gladys also took a moment to introduce Rosie Martin, an artist who was once a student of hers. Rosie will be teaching illustration classes at the School of Fashion for two weeks in mid-October. Rosie has drawn everything from polar ice caps to botanical gardens, and we can’t wait to have her as our guest!

Rosie's beautiful work
Rosie's beautiful work
Rosie in the Antarctic and her watercolors of the polar ice caps
Rosie in the Antarctic and her watercolors of the polar ice caps

For more illustrations and inspiration from GPP, be sure to check out her Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook.