Student Spotlight: Patrice Yagen

Patrice Yagen receives her award from Christopher Guy. 

M.F.A. Textile Design student Patrice Yagen just tied for second place in the Christopher Guy Design Awards Competition! Christopher Guy is a world renowned luxury furniture designer, and held the awards ceremony in conjunction with the opening of his new Christopher Guy flagship store in West Hollywood. The competition asked students to design a piece of furniture inspired by one of Philip Treacy’s fantastic creations. Treacy was also honored at the event, for his contribution to the British design industry. Read on to learn more about Patrice, her experience at the awards ceremony, and her plans for the future!

Hometown: Sacramento, CA

Major: MFA Textile Design

What type of furniture did you design and why?
I designed a dining room chair that encapsulated the Christopher Guy design aesthetic. Looking through his collection of furniture pieces online, I felt that his chairs had a simple elegance about them, and I wanted my design to emulate that feeling so I chose to design a chair as well.

What inspired your entry for the Christopher Guy Design Awards Competition?
I used Philip Tracy’s Horn Hat from his 1999 couture show as the inspiration for this piece.

Did you attend the event in L.A. – and if so – what was your experience like?
I attended the BritWeek Award ceremony in LA and it was such a fun experience to meet both Christopher Guy and Philip Treacy. The new Christopher Guy showroom was very elegant and the perfect venue to showcase some of Philip Treacy’s couture hats with an intimate runway show.

Follow the jump to read more!

You’ve won a week-long trip to Paris for the Maison et Objet exhibition – what are you most looking forward to?
I am looking forward to seeing amazing art and design by talented designers. Beautiful fabrics and print designs are always great to see close up and applied to products. It will also be a great opportunity to meet and talk with people in the European design industry.

You’re graduating this May, what are your post-grad plans?
After graduation, I am looking forward to the trip and getting to relax a little before I dive into looking for a career in the textile industry.

What is your dream job?
My ultimate dream job would be starting my own design company, but for now, I am hoping to land a great job working with talented designers where I can learn and teach all at the same time.

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