Academy of Art University Fall 2009 – New York Fashion Week

As they have done since 2005, graduates of San Francisco’s Academy of Art University once again showed off their latest collections at the Bryant Park tents during Fashion Week. While this show usually is not as star-studded and high-profile as other shows, the talent on display rivals – and often outshines – those of more established names. This season’s collections were no exception: despite a few misfires, most of the clothing on display exhibited great creativity and playfulness in design and concept, as well as attractiveness and functionality.

The show began with looks from the “Britex Fabrics Project,” a collection created by third-semester students with fabrics donated by the Britex Fabrics store located in San Francisco ‘s Union Square shopping district. The collections utilized materials such as houndstooth, wool crepe and mohair. But those fabrics worked against the dresses and coats, which seemed to overwhelm the models’ bodies and made the overall look a bit too elaborate and distracting. Much more understated, and more successful, were the creations by Qianya Martin, whose knitted dresses used warm, earthy tones and ribbed patterns to convey a pleasing simplicity of form. Heather Howard and Cat Janky’s collection included ankle-length dresses inspired by photographs of 19th century American life. Scott McFarland’s knitted men’s coats and sweaters made interesting use of bold Art Deco-inspired patterns. Taking the most chances with their designs was I-Shan Liou and Myoung Hee Kim, who created a collection which combined many different elements – checkered patterns, zigzag lines, bold swaths of blue – into a surprisingly serene balance. Emily Melville and Ivanka Georgieva’s subtle and coolly elegant fashions were also very impressive. Aesthetically, this collection was the most striking and memorable.

Photo Gallery

all photos by Bibs Teh