Student Designers Take On Fashion Week

Seven emerging designers showcase their collections.

ByABC News
February 17, 2011, 1:47 PM

Feb. 17, 2011— -- Every February renowned designers like Ralph Lauren, Vera Wang, and Max Azria give us a taste of next season's fashion at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City.

However, veteran designers were not the only ones showing their collections. Seven emerging young designers from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco got their chance to show the world what they think you'll be wearing come next season.

At Lincoln Center on the runway, models sported a flurry of textured fabrics, dark solid colors, and designs created using modern and traditional, Western and Eastern, techniques. Designers, press, fashion enthusiasts, and TV personalities like America's Next Top Model judges, J. Alexander and Nigel Barker, filled Lincoln Center's largest theatre on Friday, Feb. 11.

"New York is not used to seeing young designers. Now they're seeing young designers," said Simon Ungless, the Academy's director of fashion and the director of the segment that showcased the students' work.

Aura Taylor, one of the seven designers, was born and raised in Lithuania. She found inspiration for her collection from the history of sewing, which led her to an investigation into the emerging no-sew technologies.Using traditional tailoring with no-sew techniques such as heat welding and the use of adhesive tape, Taylor was able create a collection that she said looked "modern and new."

Taylor believes the diverse cultural and professional backgrounds of each of the designers resulted in unique collections.

Dejchat Sriyoopum drew on his Thai roots to develop the look for his collection using fabrics like wool, silk and taffeta, Sriyoopum wanted to design wearable and chic apparel.

"I didn't want to make evening gowns," he told ABC News. "I want young people to wear my collection and feel elegant.

The designers worked with instructors from the University throughout the design process to create individual looks for each collection.

Simon Ungless the director of the show said the designers were not trying to create a unified collection, but a look of the show to flow.

"We don't want the collections to look the same. We want the audience to see and hear seven voices." Minha Yoon's women's collection was inspired by the effect of light and shadows.

"I have a lot of sheers playing off of shadows," she said. "Creating depth and dimension was very important for me."