Parsons MFA Spring/Summer 2013

The new MFA in Fashion Design and Society course at Parsons The New School for Design, ( a highly selective program initiated by Donna Karen ) showcased its first 18 graduates from all-over the globe, the show was held during MADE Fashion Week at Milk Studios. This first graduating class is truly international – its 18 students represent Australia, China, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Norway, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, and United States.

Jie Li

Highlights : avant-garde pastel pieces, customised headphones / headdress rhinestone floral my little pony 

Jie Li, 26, is from Beijing, China. During her studies at Parsons, she was a finalist in the Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty graduate fashion design competition organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute. Her work addresses the most fundamental of elements of designing clothes, that of craft, technique and making. For her graduate collection, she combined pleating and quilting, overlapping multiple layers of chiffon to create new colors.

Beckett Fogg

Highlights : oblong textured minimal clutch bags, seamlessly embossed leather and chiffon, clean silhouettes

Beckett Fogg, 24, was born and raised in Lexington, Kentucky. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 2010, where she earned a BFA in Architectural Design, minoring in Studio Art. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, she moved to New York to study at Parsons, where she interned with Badgley Mischka, Cynthia Rowley, and Peter Som. A capsule collection she created as part of a special project with Donna Karan was selected to represent the United States during London Fashion Week as part of the International Fashion Showcase. 

Carly Ellis

Highlights : Jewellery neck-pieces and rings, sporty street-wear athletic and upbeat digital prints, below knee sport socks   

Carly Ellis, 24, was born and raised in northern England, and received her undergraduate degree from the University of Westminster, where her thesis collection was featured in Vogue.com UK and Vogue Italia, and acclaimed by Hilary Alexander of London Telegraph. During her time at Parsons, Ellis styled signer Rye Rye for her national tour, album artwork and music video, and worked on commissioned pieces for SuperSuper magazine and the Candy Boutique in Tokyo. Using screen grabs to capture the moment before the software has time to fully process images of newsstands, I created designs that united the original inspiration, the Ndebele tribe, enabling me to fuse three seemingly different core influences.

Lucia Cuba

Highlights : the collection broadens your horizons to the forced sterilizations that have took place during Alberto Fujimori’s reign as President of Peru and many other cases of human rights abuse in Peru, I can discern the emotional personal connection Lucia has put into this Articulo 6 collection, using a fashion platform to raise social and political messages in the form of garments.  Prints on cotton and twill, Andean pollera inspired skirts. 

Lucia Cuba, 32, is a fashion designer and social scientist from Lima, Peru. Prior to coming to Parsons, she studied Fashion Design at Centro de Altos Estudios de la Moda , Peru, and earned a Bachelor’s in Social Psychology, a Master’s in Educational Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Public Health from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia. She has participated in projects for the development of arts and culture in Peru and Latin America, and in conferences and workshops aimed at advancing the development of local emerging fashion.

Images courtesy of Milkmade + Metrovelevet 

Madrid Fashion Week - Spring Summer 2013

I'm trying to refrain from my posts becoming clogged up with upcoming Fashion Weeks, I will make an effort to gradually update on the beguiling runway collections. For now here is a mini round-up of Madrid Fashion week Spring/Summer 2013. I'm still very reluctant to say adiós to Summer and welcome Autumn, but here I can pine over and keep myself peppy in my summer-tide bubble - a tiny tad longer!

María Escoté

Upon viewing the first sequence of the 'Sweet Cannibal Cannibal' collection, you could be espying through a hammock mosquito mesh in the middle of the Amazon. Eyes peering out to jungle prints, foliage, angry monkeys tropical flowers, felines and birds. The collection exhibits glam biker jackets shorts and vests. Thereupon lands in a new sequence of pastel shades, skater skirts and sparkly mini dresses and maxi dress bandeau's and bustier's. Thus creating alittle something for everyone, call it the sweet cannibal buffet  - my general favourite collection. 

Teresa Helbig

The designs are inspired by the gardens of Versailles of André Le Nôtre in France, the locations sounds beatitude, the lima green boots look enticing with the feminine romantic skirts with volume, punctuated with hints of fuscia and green. 

Jesús del Pozo

The venue where this collection took place looks beautiful in an unique open setting, at the Parques del Capricho in Madrid. The pieces would certainly compliment a fine summers evening, adding sophistication and feminine chic.

Made it to another Friday. Have a great weekend EVERYBODY!

G-Dragon One Of A Kind MV : Versatile Style Guises

I usually don't pander to the mahatmas of the fashion music or film heavyweights on here, unless I'm really compelled to! (it's not for disliking them, but I guess I feel I don't want to regurgitate popular culture infinitely) I do make an exception for G-Dragon, maybe because some of the folks in the west are not yet acquainted with him, or maybe I just need any excuse, since I'm an aficionado of South Korean bands 'Big Bang' & 2NE1.    

G-Dragon dons many various style guises in this MV, a certified style chameleon, who's not afraid to experiment. Most of the attire are from the menswear collections, as well a few pieces from the womens-wear collection, inspiring men and women alike all over the globe.  ― Have a good weekend ! 

Iris van Herpen & United Nude : Thorn Shoe

Thorn - tastic! Iris van Herpen x United Nude unveil their 6th shoe collaboration for the “Hybrid-Holism” haute couture collection. The inside silhouette of the spike needles form a flower-like shape.

“Thorn” will be produced in very limited numbers in various colors, such as glossy nude, glossy black and matt black. Thrilled to see their collaboration is always pushing the boundaries, thus giving us tasty unconventional statement shoes.

 Thorn shoe was created using "liquid slow molded uppers and sharp-spiked stones with a 7+inch heel and hidden platform. The spikes, made of hand cut stones such as Labradorite, Tiger’s Eye, Leopard Jasper and Moss Agate, pierce through the upper between the platform and heel, creating a semi-precious arch of thorns that form the focal point of this ferocious bootie."

Photo's Courtesy of GoRunway & Fashionising

Graduate Fashion Week 2012

Uni classes came and went, with all the toils and spoils, congratulations! are now due to all the graduates and furthermore to the crème de la crème at 2012’s Graduate Fashion Gala Show. Have a little look... at the young, exciting and the creative.

XIAOPING HUANG

Particularly feeling the use of eye-wear complimenting the exuberant three-dimensional accordion pleats, they sort of remind me of a jack-in-the-box. Actually haven't seen a jack-in-the-box in yonks! okay back on topic. Xiaoping Huang was handed the Zandra Rhodes Catwalk Textiles Award, for her creative planetary pleats. 

CLAIRE ACTON

My general favourite collection included this one, how clever are these hair fringes framing the printed pop art like giant faces. The rad hair theme works really well and LOVE the giant perspex hair clip necklace and the mini hair clips, certainly a statement accessory. I so want this! 

YVONNE KWOK

My eyes drew straight to this pastel palette collection and for the corseted ruffle silhouette crop jackets. The lightweight floaty structured pieces with opulent details, looks delightful feminine and quirky.

AMELIA SMITH

Russian dolls in all it's monochrome and gold glory, marched there way donning fur cossack hats with prints depicting the red square architecture, exuding a ceaseless charm, thus creating the ultra metallic matryoshka decadence. It comes by no thunderbolt that this collection was deservedly nominated for the Zandra Rhodes textile award.

CHARLI COHEN

These headpieces really stand out with the yellow accents of colour and bold CC logos, generating a Sport Lux sportswear line for women. Inspired by Olympics weight training, Charli Cohen harmonises her time between being a personal trainer as well as a sportswear designer, becoming the best motivator for a little workout or sports, in high-fashion functional exercise garments. 

And so, class of 2012 bravo! you have begun to blaze your own trails. The world is waiting for you!