In an unassuming building tucked below Times Square, atmospheric music pulses through a sixth-floor lounge.
NYFW is a term so recognizable and so infamous that you can almost feel the designers’ stress to convey their very best work.
The Academy of Art University School of Fashion presented the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter 2019 collections of 17 of their student designers during NYFW on Saturday at Pier 59 Studios. The San Francisco based art school has an elite fashion design program with notable alumni such as Anna Sheffield, Lauren Conrad and Raven Symone.
The new generation of young designers from the university’s Master of Fine Arts program introduced their work on the runway to a diverse audience of recruiters, industry executives, fellow designers and media. You can get a better look at the runway pieces from each student below:
Nicholle Jones, an online graduate student at AAU, took advantage of unconventional materials to create these looks. Her inspiration behind them were masks and the idea that they essentially used to hide something or someone.
Throughout his academic career, Justing Kong Jiang’s focus began to shift from kinetic art and mechanic structure to incorporating the ‘spirit of surrealism’ in to his work. Justing’s collection were definitely designed to stand out with their shiny, metallic details and futuristic-inspired garments.
Tingting Cai and Esther Qi collaborated on a retro futurism and asymmetrical collection, drawing inspiration from vintage books and the unusual linked bodies of Siamese twins. The layer and shape of fabrics give off a gradient effect and really taps in to the traditional 70’s retro aesthetic.
Currently working on his masters in fashion design Yoonsuk Lee integrated different patterns like houndstooth and plaid to create a familiar yet unconventional perspective of womenswear and menswear combined.
Serbia native Snežana Aničić-Van Pelt gained inspiration for her collection from the constant evolution of our social climate. All the different materials used in these looks, from human hair to lamb’s wool, manage to work together rather than clash which is the concept she wanted to convey in this collection.
This collection is a collaboration between three graduate students: Mark Kazu Mekaru, Katy Fang Liu and Amo Chou. The menswear consisted of loose, dark garments perfect for the fall and winter season, using wool, cotton and polyester.
Longwen Li and Kiwon Kang collaborated on this menswear collection and to bring together Li’s twist on the typical “nerd” style and Kang’s interest in photoshop and graphic design.
Zibo Wang used her early life growing up on a military compound as a child as inspiration for these pieces. The military themed tones are evident in the heavy, layered pieces to bring together a balanced blend of masculinity in the womenswear collection.
Jessica Lai drew inspo from graphic illustrator Olimpia Zagnoli who uses bright, vivid colors and large shapes in her work. Similarly, Lai incorporated the ‘pop art’ theme in to her collection, using organic cotton and wool.
Lusha Wang’s collection was heavily influenced by the movie We Need to Talk About Kevin and its main character Tilda Swinton. Wang combined thick, wool blends along with yarn and patent leather to create these oversized yet cozy garments.
The haunting scenes from the film Shutter Island influenced Zhihan Liu womenswear collection. These looks represented the emotionally dark scenes throughout the film, mixing the concept of standard black and white evening wear with sheer, ruffled details.
Vivid Yunan Ma created the ideal winter essentials. Her collection of fuzzy sweaters and skirts, and crochet knit tops and dresses were inspired by teddy bears and stuffed animals from Mark Nixon’s book Much Loved.
Changsheng Yu took the cultural route, drawing inspiration from his mother’s upbringing and his Chinese heritage to incorporate in his collection. The earth tone fringes give great detail to these stunning pieces.
Following the student’s debuts’, the School of Fashion allowed industry professionals a more intimate opportunity to view the students’ work at their two-day showroom at Kimball Studio in SoHo.
All runway photos are by John Perez.
Follow the School of Fashion on all social media channels: @AcademyUFashion
Claudinette Jean’s smile lit up Pier 59 Studios as she took several interviews backstage while tending to her models and squeezing in a rehearsal. She practiced her closing remarks in front of the presentation’s forest-like background which was draped in greenery. This theme set the tone for Fusha’s latest collection which was nature inspired.
The Spring/Summer collection featured bright, spring colors and differs from previous collections as it is the first to be a women’s only line. Claudinette takes pride in her creations being unique and explains, “It’s the cut, it’s the fabric used, it’s the combination of different fabrics put together,” she says, “a lot of designers don’t like taking chances doing that, and that is what you’ll be seeing tonight.”
During the presentation, the models stood on risers to present the designs while people flowed freely through the space, taking tons of pictures and enjoying the music provided by Claudinette’s husband and well-known musician, Wyclef Jean. 
Explaining the collections target audience was seemingly one of the easiest tasks of the evening. “I make clothes for all women,” says Claudinette, “for each piece, I’m thinking about different women of all ages everywhere.”
She continues, “This is the first time I will be doing all sizes for women of all sizes. I have a lot of unique pieces and I’m always twisting it to keep it very different.”
Be sure to look out for more pieces from Fusha on their website.
“We were friends in High School of Art and Design and then we parted ways,” explained Scott Chester. “We went to different colleges and didn’t see each other for 15 years,” Evelyn Luna adds, completing her partner’s sentence perfectly.
Scott and Luna beamed on the red carpet after the completion of their show which presented the summer/spring collection from their clothing line ACID at Nolcha Shows.
The business partners turned couple spoke in sync and completed each other’s sentences as they explained how they reconnected after 15 years before deciding to build a brand together. Scott studied industrial design during his college career, while Evelyn stayed in NYC to study fashion at the Parsons School of Design; before beginning a 13-year position on Diane Von Furstenburg’s design staff where she became Director of the Textile Department.
“Somehow, we ran into each other again,” Evelyn says. Scott recalls, “Two days before 9/11. I remember when it happened, all I could think about was her and her parents. When we got back together it was more about us working well together and taking advantage of that.”
Evelyn concludes, “We started out working together and eventually that lead to more.”
ACID stands for Arielle Chester Industrial Design, named after Scott’s daughter, and was originally a company that specialized in designing custom furniture in 1990. Clothing came into play after Evelyn reached out to Scott to help with a graffiti project under DVF. After continuous collaborations, the two began to create their own vision.
“We didn’t want to design prints that everyone else did, we wanted to look outside the box. One of our mottos is ‘beauty in our surroundings,’ they’re the things you see but don’t acknowledge to be something you could wear,” Evelyn says. She continues, “They are statement pieces but if you look at the make of them, they are classic pieces you could wear for a very long time. It’s taking a classic piece and adding the prints.”
The prints being referred to range from plant cells, a reflection in a puddle, a transmission print from a car, and so much more. Scott and Evelyn are able to capture these prints through photography and zoom in or flip the images any which way to create the design they desire for a piece of clothing.
Sony Records artist Nick Hissom, known for his music promoting equality, approved this seasons collection. “I think it’s important to stay cool and current when it comes to your fashion, your image, and your styling,” Nick stresses, “the designer took a lot of risks and it paid off. It was colorful and exciting. I really enjoyed it, it was fun.”
Head to the ACID website to check out the latest pieces from the SS’18 collection, and be sure to use your 10% discount for first-time orders.
Dan Liu presented his spring/summer 2019 collection on September 11th 2019 at the NYFW: The Shows. The collection’s theme was nowadays Japan.
The theme of the collection was translated well into the everyday pieces. Starting with the opening dance of Kitsune versus Kyou, the struggle of keeping Japanese heritage alive in a modern world was definitely present.
Six styles of white dresses opened the show, which allowed the viewer to appreciate the sharp angles of the geisha-inspired makeup. The purity of the color, could mean the death of old Japanese culture which was reinvented with the following looks.
The seventh look which disrupted the all-white entrance, was a crisp shirt dress with red and blue musical notes adorning the light fabric. The model came out with a lucky cat eye mask, possibly symbolizing a positive new beginning.
The repertoire had a subtle essence of the Japanese subculture of Harajuku. It was applied to the feminine dresses in a way that elevated the clothes. This was seen in small lace details, thin ruffles and pastel color combinations.
Dan Liu succeeded in telling a cohesive story through simple pieces that stood out thanks to the well-made execution and attention to details.
The Australian born brand, nANA jUDY unveiled its SS19 Collection at Spring Studios during New York Fashion Week last Thursday.
Influenced by multiculturalism and inspired by the ideal of harmony between humans and the natural world, emerging brands ARANYANI and KavenLiu DIMOR presented their Spring/Summer 2019 collections at the eleventh annual Nolcha Shows during New York Fashion Week. The Nolcha Shows are a platform for independent designers to showcase their innovative designs to a global audience, allowing opportunities for discovery.
On September 5th, ready-to-wear women’s clothing brand KÛR launched its Spring and Summer collection “Compact Traveller” with a fashion show, featuring a hybrid of business casual and leisure looks.
75 East Broadway is the new destination for distinct fashion; the environment James Veloria have created holds a strong sense of identity and of course a number of incredible vintage pieces.