San Francisco, CA, May 18, 2015 – On Thursday, May 14, 2015, 39 student designers presented their final collections at the annual Academy of Art University Graduation Fashion Show in San Francisco.
In addition to showcasing student work to this year’s honored guests, The Council of Fashion Designers of America (The CFDA) and School of Fashion alumna and 2014 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund runner up Ryan Roche, the fashion show introduced the collections of the B.F.A. and M.F.A. students to some of the most influential members of the fashion world.
“We see our role in these designers’ education as going beyond the classroom,” said Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University. “We are committed to help launch our students’ careers and have their collections seen by as many industry professionals as possible.
The fashion show consisted of 21 collaborative menswear and womenswear collections created by students who studied Fashion Design, Knitwear Design, Menswear Design, Technical Design, Textile Design and Jewelry/Metal Arts. Of the 21 collections presented, six were collaborations between Fashion Design, Knitwear Design, Textile Design, and Jewelry/Metal Arts students. Twelve Fashion Design and Textile Design students collaborated on a 15-look capsule collection to celebrate the 30th anniversary of BCBG Max Azria sister brand Hervé Léger. M.F.A. Fashion Designer Nina Hui was selected by BCBG to participate in an internship with Hervé Léger.
Capsule collection to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Hervé Léger for BCBG Max Azria Group, by M.F.A Fashion Designers Geu Mi Lee, Melissa Kheng, Dora Li, Fei Li, Lindsey Trueman, Yibin Xu, Li Lai and Nina Hui, and B.F.A. Fashion Designers Emma Xueling Cui, Novi Utami, Nomin Gantulga, and Lauren Lusby. Lauren Lusby was named as a runner up in the 2015 Fashion Snoops International Print and Pattern Competition.
Keith Gunning, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born in Galway, Ireland and grew up in Calgary, Canada. Gunning’s graduation collection, made entirely of neoprene, was heavily inspired by flamboyant designs of the late legendary London-based artist Leigh Bowery. Garments in Gunning’s collection feature cable-ties, which were attached to rope, spray-painted, and sewn into each individual seam. Gunning was awarded a spot in the 2015 Paris Sister City Scholarship Exchange at Studio Berçot in Paris, France.
Gyuwon Jeong, B.F.A. Menswear Design, was born and raised in Seoul, South Korea. Jeong collaborated on her graduation collection with B.F.A. Textile Design student Jimin A Kim, who also hails from Seoul, South Korea. For their graduation collection, Jeong and Kim were inspired by the Mexican Cholombian and South African Ndebele tribes, particularly the eccentric haircuts, clothing proportions, and unexpected combination of color and patterns that are customary in both tribes.
Yunseon Kim, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in Daegu, South Korea. Kim collaborated on her collection with Carmen X Liu, B.F.A. Jewelry & Metal Arts. Born in China and raised in Vancouver, Canada, Liu won Best of Show at the Academy’s 2013 Undergraduate Jewelry and Metal Arts Award Show, and was a first place winner in 2014. For their collaborative collection, Kim drew inspiration from the shape and silhouettes of traditional Korean dress, hanbok, which is often characterized by vibrant colors and simple lines. To accent Kim’s garments, Liu created a collection of elegant and brightly colored costume jewelry pieces.
Livia Bianda , B.F.A. Menswear Design, hails from Jakarta, Indonesia. In 2014 Bianda served as the summer menswear intern at Alexander Wang in New York, assisted 2014 Academy of Art University seniors with their graduation collections, and contributed to the design development process and assisting in styling menswear looks as a part of the design team for the Indonesia Day festival in San Francisco. In March 2014, Bianda’s work was chosen by the Academy to participate in the first round of the Joe’s Blackbook Design Competition in New York. Bianda has been awarded an internship with Adidas for Summer 2015. For her graduation collection, which is constructed from lycra, mesh, and wool suiting material, Bianda was inspired by the uniforms and exaggerated silhouettes seen on football players. The collection features the unique detail of built-in backpacks.
Gisel Ko, B.F.A. Knitwear Design, was born and raised in Monterrey, N.L. Mexico. In 2014 Ko was a CFDA Scholarship competition nominee. A painting of a girl skiing glad in traditional dress Korean sparked the inspiration for Ko’s graduation collection. Ko’s collection features hand-knitted items such as a floral bomber jacket and a jacquard sweater, marrying sportswear with the feminine qualities of traditional Korean garments. Ko was selected for an internship with Ryan Roche.
Linka Rowland, B.F.A. Fashion Design, grew up in Mendocino, California. Rowland reimagined fringe for her graduation collection, adorning her wool, leather and neoprene garments with hundreds of white, pink, orange, yellow and black rabbit foot key chains. Oversized silhouettes direct focus to Rowland’s unique interpretation of fringe.
Dominic Tan, B.F.A. Menswear Design, was born and raised in Singapore. In 2008 Tan was awarded the Arts & Crafts Bronze Award by the Singapore Youth Festival. For two years Tan was first a design intern and later a design consultant with several socially conscious design projects through the non-profit organization Design For. He also assisted alumnus Seth C. Olson with sewing, pattern manipulation and printing textiles for his 2014 graduation collection. That same year, Tan received an honorable mention from the CFDA, was awarded a summer internship at Yigal Azrouël in New York, and made the Academy’s President’s Honor List. Tan’s graduation collection is his interpretation of a Singaporean uniform, and is constructed from ice-dyed cotton blends in shades of pink.
Eleonore L. Santos, B.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from San Diego, California. For her graduation collection, Santos collaborated with Gurnee, Illinois native and B.F.A. Textile Designer Anna Metzel. During the summer of 2014 Metzel participated in a display design internship at Pottery Barn Kids in San Francisco. For their collaborative collection, Santos and Metzel were inspired by the work of figurative painter Francis Bacon. The collection employs complex seaming and watercolor-like textiles to evoke Bacon’s signature erratic brushstroke style and wild use of color.
Gaia Giladi, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born in Los Angeles, California, and grew up in Irvine, California. In 2014 Giladi interned with Sausalito-based brand Gr. Dano, where she worked directly with the designer Jill Giordano, 2004 B.F.A. Fashion Design alumna. Giladi also assisted Academy of Art University M.F.A. alumni Arijana Kajdić and Jaci Hodges in pattern making, garment construction, and beading for their Fall 2014 New York Fashion Week collections. The shapes and dimensions of skate park ramps and half pipes were a source of inspiration for Giladi’s graduation collection. Giladi plays with viewer’s perceptions of depth and movement by using unique fabrics, including 3D lenticular printed materials and a textile created by seaming together a variety of black and white striped fabrics.
Damien Chandra, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Before coming to Academy of Art University Chandra worked as a design assistant for Daniyo Hiyoji womenswear in Indonesia. Chandra’s graduation collection is inspired by the work of figurative sculptor Willy Verginer. Taking a page from Verginer’s signature style of color blocking and abrupt textural changes, Chandra used a mix of fabrics and colors to create a collection that gives the illusion of being cut apart and sewn back together. The collection is executed in wool fabrics in polka dot and herringbone patterns, laminated wool, acrylic faux fur, and rayon acetate.
Cherng-Hann Lee, B.F.A. Menswear Design, is from Taipei, Taiwan. Lee was the 2012 winner of a $5,000 CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund scholarship. Lee’s 2015 graduation collection is inspired by Medieval suit of arms, and is made of fabrics ranging from lace to wool, embossed corduroy to cotton to create looks that give his garments both an elegant and masculine feeling.
Patricia Wijaya, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia. Before pursuing her degree in the States, Wijaya worked as an assistant for Indonesian designers Itang Yunasz and Susan Budihardjo. Wijaya’s family history of scoliosis has been a source of inspiration for her collection; the center-curved seams on each garment mirror the shapes of scoliosis back braces. Wijaya’s collection juxtaposes informal denim with the luxe detail of intricate hand beading.
Xun Li, B.F.A. Menswear Design, was born in Chongqing, China. Li has worked as a fashion intern for two flagship retail stores in China, Shangxia in 2012 and Cai Lia in 2013. In 2012 Li was chosen as a finalist for CFDA’s Teen Vogue Competition. Li’s menswear collection is evocative of his source of inspiration, which were windows, translucent plastic sculptures, and art that explores light and transparency. He used translucent and buff-rubber silicone fabrics as overlays on black shirts and pants made from cotton twill, and accented collars, cuffs and fastenings with blue Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) for an ultra-modern feel.
Karina Garcia, B.F.A. Fashion Design and B.F.A. Fine Arts double major, was born and raised in Morelia, Mexico. In 2009, Garcia’s textile prints were displayed at the Academy of Art University Spring Show, and in 2014 Garcia was chosen to participate in the Joe’s Blackbook Design Competition. For her graduation collection Pazos collaborated with fellow Mexican student Mariana Pazos, B.F.A. Textile Design, who is from Chihuahua, Mexico. Pazos has won several awards for her athletic endeavors on the Academy of Art University golf team, including the Division 2 Athletics Directors Association Academic Achievement Award for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, making the Pac West All-Academic Team for 2012-2013 and 2013-2014, and making the President’s Honor list for the 2013-2014. Inspired by Georgia O’Keefe, Pearl Harbor and World War II uniforms, Garcia and Pazos’ collection consists of printed cotton fabrics, midnight navy light wool and silk charmeuse.
Amanda Manashi, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born in Houston, Texas and grew up in Danville, California. In the summer of 2014 she interned with Global Brands Group, Marchesa Voyage, and assisted M.F.A. Fashion Designer Arijana Kajdić with the construction of her Fall 2014 Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week collection. Manashi was awarded a spot in the 2015 Paris Sister City Scholarship Exchange at L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne in Paris, France. For her senior collection, Manashi was inspired by Art Nouveau architect Hector Guimard. The juxtaposition of linear and organic shapes in his architecture was translated into pleats and voluminous silhouettes in Manashi’s designs.
Jeremy Vu, B.F.A. Menswear Design, grew up in Santa Clara, California. Vu worked as an alterations assistant at Rodarte, helping complete the S/S 12, F/W 12 and S/S 14 collections, and interned with Melissa Fleis in Spring 2014. Vu collaborated with Fortuna, California native and B.F.A Knitwear Designer Lupita Ramirez, and Justin Lei Wang, A.A. Jewelry & Metal Arts, who was born and raised in Harbin, China. In 2014 Wang won the third place Jewelry & Metal Art award at the Academy of Art University Spring Show. Their collaborative collection, “Truly Outrageous,” takes a stylistic page from the 1980s film Heathers and the animated television show Jem and the Holograms. The wide shouldered silhouettes are a nod to the decade, while the loud color palette and mixed patterns evoke the rock star attitude captured in the animated television series. Fabric sponsorship was provided by Sophie Hallette.
Ye Kuang, B.F.A. Fashion Design, is from Shanghai, China, and has worked as a design intern at And Re Walker design studio. Kuang collaborated with M.F.A. Jewelry & Metal Arts Designer and Taipei, Taiwan native Candy Hsinyu Chu. Chu has interned at Harputs and Margaret O’Leary, and was the M.F.A. Director’s Choice and the M.F.A. Student Choice award winner at the Academy’s 2014 Spring Show. Using neoprene, imitation leather and lace as her medium, Kuang took inspiration from Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat’s sculpture “Incineration Line in Roskilde.” Chu constructed jewelry from vinyl tubing in a color palette inspired by Nordic summers. Fabric sponsorship was provided by Sophie Hallette.
JC Munoz, B.F.A. Fashion Design & Textile Design, was born in Monterey, California and grew up in Austin, Texas. Munoz was an assistant designer for Punky Couture in 2012 and for Abercrombie & Fitch in 2014. Munoz won several awards in the 2015 Royal Society of the Arts competition, specifically the Pointcarre Design Software, License and Support, Award for Textile Design, the $1000 Sustainable Design Practices Award, Sponsored by Techmer PM; and the $500 Founder’s Portfolio Award. Munoz was also named as a runner up in the 2015 Fashion Snoops International Print and Pattern Competition. His collection was inspired by aviation, specifically the fluidity of fighter jets; the silhouettes of his designs mimic the curves and aerodynamic shapes of F-16 and B-2 fighter jets. Munoz’s collection features his own textiles as well as material he made by piecing together over 300 felt stripes.
Ruone Yan, B.F.A. Menswear Design, is from Chongquing, China. Yan created her graduation collection with canvas that she dyed with oolong tea. Inspired by the Cephalotus, also known as the Venus flytrap, Yan wanted her garments to capture the idea of insects being trapped within a Venus flytrap.
Shuman Yao, B.F.A. Fashion Design, was born in Shijiazhuang, Heibei, China and grew up in Beijing, China. A former costume designer at China’s National Grand Theatre (National Center for the Performing Arts) and styling assistant at Harpers Bazaar China, Yao was also the 2009 recipient of The Central Academy of Drama’s Best Fashion Make-Up Award. Yao was awarded a spot in the 2015 Paris Sister City Scholarship Exchange at Studio Berçot in Paris, France. Yao’s graduation collection, constructed from rubber polyvinyl chloride (PVC), wool cashmere, polyester and denim, is inspired by sci-fi video game Anachronox. Yao imparted the shape of spacecrafts and the details of space suits in the collection’s silhouettes, and added layer details and closures that are inspired by Saturn’s rings.
All photos by Getty Images.
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CFDA
Established in 1962, The Council of Fashion Designers of America is a not-for-profit trade association whose membership consists of more than 470 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry, and accessories designers. The CFDA is devoted to supporting and nurturing new and emerging design talent with scholarship awards and post-graduate educational initiatives such as CFDA+, the Eileen Fisher Social Innovator program, The CFDA {Fashion Incubator} and The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund. Fashion Designer Diane von Fürstenberg is the current President of The CFDA Board of Directors, and is joined by Michael Kors and Marcus Wainwright of Rag+Bone, who both serve as Vice Presidents. Other board members include Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, Reed Krakoff, Mimi So,Tory Burch, Prabal Gurung, Marc Jacobs, Tommy Hilfiger and Ashley Olsen. Academy of Art University School of Fashion recognizes and honors The CFDA for cultivating the next wave of American design talent through their scholarship competitions, which provide merit-based financial awards for tuition and educational expenses; since 1996, the CFDA has awarded 238 scholarships totaling $1,570,000.
Ryan Roche
Roche attended the Academy of Art University where she studied knitwear design. Roche is committed to supporting responsible manufacturing via sustainable, low-impact production. She has worked with a women’s cooperative in Nepal for the last decade and also supports American manufacturing. Ryan Roche founded her eponymous line in 2011 after seven years of designing the children’s brand Mor Mor Rita. She transitioned to womenswear from children’s apparel after actresses Maggie Gyllenhaal, Milla Jovovich, and Shalom Harlow asked her to design clothing that they could wear. Ryan Roche has been featured in American Vogue, British Vogue, The New York Times Sunday Styles and Thursday Styles, T Magazine, Marie Claire, Harper’s Bazaar, LA Times, on Style.com as “The next big thing” and featured in BlackBook as “The new Queen of knitwear.” Roche has also received praise from Cathy Horyn and Style.com for her FW15 collection. Ryan Roche is available at Barneys, Net a Porter, 10 Corso Como, Harvey Nichols Hong Kong, Isetan, Opening Ceremony and Elyse Walker as well as over sixty specialty stores worldwide. She was selected as a runner up in the prestigious CFDA / Vogue Fashion Fund 2014 and was shortlisted for the 2015 LVMH Prize in Paris. She is also nominated for The CFDA Swarovski Womenswear Designer Award that will be announced June 2015.
Portrait of Ryan Roche:
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About Academy of Art University
Academy of Art University, the largest private university of art and design in the United States, is educating students for the art and design jobs of the 21st century. Established in 1929, the Academy is an output-based higher education model that provides an inclusive admissions policy to all students, but imposes a rigorous curriculum that requires the students to produce a portfolio of work that demonstrates a mastery of their field in order to graduate. Students are taught by a faculty of professionals from the existing marketplace, both online and on campus in San Francisco, who provide them with an understanding of what it takes to succeed in today’s business environment. The Academy’s hands-on curriculum produces graduates who possess outstanding artistic and design skills—and equally as important, the ability to put those talents to work immediately after graduation. As a result, Academy graduates are ready to compete for and win the jobs of the 21st century in the fields of Acting, Advertising, Animation & Visual Effects, Architecture, Art Education, Art History, Costume Design, Fashion, Fashion Journalism, Fashion Styling, Fine Art, Game Design, Game Programming, Graphic Design, Illustration, Industrial 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 Art Teaching Credential, and Writing for Film, Television & Digital Media. Academy of Art University is accredited by WASC, NASAD, Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA) (B.F.A./M.F.A.-IAD), NAAB (B-ARCH*, M-ARCH), and California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). *B-ARCH program in candidacy status.
About the School of Fashion
Approximately 2,500 fashion students study under the guidance of experienced fashion professionals in the School of Fashion, which houses the following areas of specialization: Fashion Design for Womenswear, Menswear, and Childrenswear; Technical Design; Textile Design; Knitwear Design; Accessory Design; Costume Design; Fashion Illustration; Fashion Journalism; Fashion Marketing; Fashion Styling; Fashion Merchandising; and Visual Merchandising.
The University works with international brands and recruitment agencies on internships and job placement. Graduates have gone on to such companies as Abercrombie & Fitch, Adidas, Alexander McQueen, Azzedine Alaïa, Banana Republic, BCBG Max Azria Group, Blanc de Chine, Burberry, Calvin Klein, Corso Como 10, Chloë, Diane von Fürstenberg, Donna Karan, Gap, Kate Spade, Kiton, L.A.M.B., L’Ecole Lesage Paris–Atelier de Broderie, Liz Claiborne, Louis Vuitton, Marc Jacobs, Martin Margiela, Martine Sitbon, Missoni, Nike, Nordstrom, The North Face, Old Navy, Oscar de la Renta, Phillip Lim, Pottery Barn, Ralph Lauren, Reebok, Roland Mouret, St. John, Threeasfour, Tocca, Viktor & Rolf, and Williams-Sonoma.
Guests to the School of Fashion include Azzedine Alaïa, Prosper and Martine Assouline, Max and Lubov Azria of BCBG Max Azria Group, Yigal Azrouël, Geoffrey Beene, Rose Marie Bravo, Sarah Burton, Andrew Buckler, Julie Chaiken, The Honorable Bertrand Delanoë Mayor of Paris, David Downton, Steven Cox and Daniel Silver of Duckie Brown, Patrik Ervell, Loulou de la Falaise, James Galanos, Joan Kaner, Humberto Leon and Carol Lim of Opening Ceremony, Antonio Lopez, Fern Mallis, Alexander McQueen, Rosita and Tai Missoni, Angela Missoni, Margherita Maccapani Missoni, Isaac Mizrahi, Josie Natori, Ian Hannula and Joe Haller of N.I.C.E. Collective, Elisa Palomino, Laure du Pavillon, Zac Posen, Oscar de la Renta, Zandra Rhodes CBE, Ralph Rucci, Nathalie Rykiel, HRH Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, Jeremy Scott, Carla Sozzani, Philip Treacy, Walter Van Beirendonck, Dirk van Saene, and Dame Vivienne Westwood DBE, as well as Christophe Girard Director of Fashion Strategy of LVMH Fashion Group, Robin Givhan, Cathy Horyn, and Suzy Menkes.
About the School of Fashion Executive Director
Simon Ungless, Executive Director of the School of Fashion at Academy of Art University, graduated from Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design in 1992 and was awarded the prestigious M.A. Degree in Fashion with Distinction. He collaborated with Alexander McQueen on the first 10 collections shown in London and New York, and personally introduced Sarah Burton, Creative Director of Alexander McQueen, to the late designer. In 2002, he was named Creative Director of Member Holiday, a Korean-based contemporary brand, launching both men’s and women’s collections with 37 freestanding stores. His work experience spans fashion design, textile design, forecasting, brand development, and marketing for such clients as Givenchy, Paul Smith, and Versace. In addition to his duties as the Executive Director of the School of Fashion overseeing both M.F.A. and B.F.A. programs, he is the editorial director of the School of Fashion’s 180 magazine, as well as the executive producer of the annual Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony in San Francisco and the biannual fashion shows during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Lincoln Center in New York City. Currently, Ungless operates two artisanal design companies, When Simon Met Ralph, which focuses on apparel, and Blackened, which centers on accessories and home. Both projects are the culmination of Ungless’ inspirational development work over his career.
School of Fashion at Academy of Art University
79 New Montgomery Street, San Francisco, CA 94105
Call 800.544.2787 (U.S. only) or 415.274.2200
Academy of Art University: www.academyart.edu/
School of Fashion: www.academyart.edu/academics/fashion
In-house Press Contacts
Ian MacKintosh / 415.618.3849 / imackintosh@academyart.edu
Jeanette Peach / 415.618.3891 / jepeach@academyart.edu
Chloe Preussker / 415.618.3831 / cpreussker@academyart.edu
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— Fashion Show Credit Sheet —
Executive Producer
Simon Ungless, Executive Director of the School of Fashion
Events Producer
Serita Sangimino, Vice President of Student Affairs
Technical Producer
Jakub Kalousek
Stylist
Marcell Rocha for Workgroup / workgroup-ltd.com
Casting
Zan Ludlum / zanludlum.com
Make-up
Victor Cembellin for Workgroup / workgroup-ltd.com
Hair
Jon Reyman for Spoke & Weal Salon
Model Agencies
Bratty Model, Cast Images Talent Agency, Elite Direct, Ford Models New York,
Fusion Model Management, IMG Models, JE Model, Look Model Agency,
New York Model Management, Next Model Management,
Red Model Management, Request Model Management,
Stars Model Management, Wilhelmina Model
Fabric Sponsorship for Jeremy Vu and Ye Kuang’s Collections
