Vogue – June 2012 issue.

Vogue has announced that, starting with their June 2012 issue, they are making a conscious effort to promote a healthier body image. The editors of Vogue’s 19 international editions made a pact banning the use of models under the age of 16 and those who appear to have an eating disorder. The Condé Nast International Chairman, Jonathan Newhouse, told the New York Times, “Vogue editors around the world want the magazines to reflect their commitment to the health of the models who appear on the pages and the well-being of their readers.”

Follow the jump to read more! Read more…

The Madewell Denim Roadtrip has been traveling the country, bringing their finest denim attire to the denim-loving masses – and their making a stop in San Francisco! Tomorrow, May 16th, they’ll be setting up shop at Grant and Geary from 12 – 7 PM. Stop by the specially outfitted airstream trailer for some fun surprises including a styling station, hair braiding bar, and a secret denim deal!

WHEN: Wednesday, May 16th from 12 to 7 PM

WHERE: Grant and Green Streets

Another one for the press books – the students’ collections from the Academy of Art University Graduation Fashion Show were featured in California Apparel News! Jayne Seward, the publication’s fashion editor, wrote a great piece highlighting some looks from the show as well as the internships and awards. Here is a preview:

The fashion show was a high-energy production, showcasing the collections of graduating students, who designed across the categories of womenswear, menswear, knitwear, textiles, accessories and technical design…Design inspiration ranged from Jan van Eyck paintings to Gibson Girls and 1960s horror films. Visibly evident were the craftsmanship, knitwear expertise and printing techniques that are taught at the school.

And, the publication featured a design by Eli Daniel Odisho with textiles by Miram Tolentino on the cover – so amazing!

Head over to California Apparel News to read the entire article.

Photo Courtesy of Randy Brooke.

Fashion shows are always exciting for: 1) the fashion, duh but also 2) the music. They’re always showcasing hot new tracks, as well as reviving some oldies-but-goodies you may have missed the first time around. It is so much fun designing a soundtrack for a show – carefully selecting each song for it’s mood, tempo, and the life it gives to a collection. We thought that the soundtrack for the Academy of Art University Graduation Fashion Show was awesome this year (thank you Simon Ungless), so we wanted to share it with you!

Follow the jump for the full track listing and to stream the entire playlist! Read more…

For today’s edition of Monday Morning Photo, we’ve got some amazing backstage snap shots from the Academy of Art University Graduation Fashion Show! We always love those spontaneous moments behind the scenes – as models and dressers, hair and make-up artists, are all working to make sure that every last detail is perfect before it hits the runway – and B.F.A. Photography student Caro Ramirez captures them brilliantly. We hope they inspire during your last week of the spring semester!!

◄ Back

Next ►

Picture 1 of 11

A still from the film.

As many of you saw at the Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony, Maria A. Romero presented her collection not on the runway, but with a short film. She constructed her entire collection on a set of dolls, and collaborated with students from the School of Animation and Visual Effects to create a stop motion film. The end result was a beautiful and moving presentation that allowed Maria to not only showcase her work – but to tell a story.

The film and collection were so spectacular, that they earned Maria an internship at Alexander McQueen, and caught the eye of the team over at NOWNESS – they decided to feature it as their story of the day! For those of you that don’t know, NOWNESS is an award-winning online platform that showcases some of the most inspiring stories from around the globe, previewing the latest in art, fashion, film, music, architecture and design, travel, sport, and gastronomy. They posted Cathy Horyn’s interview with Sarah Burton after the Spring ’12 collections, and recently published an exclusive two-part interview with Daphne Guinness – clearly, the site is a MAJOR deal.

Follow the jump to watch the video and head over to NOWNESS to read their exclusive interview with Maria! And Bravo to Maria and the School of Animation team – Travis Weaver, Victoria Simiele, Mireya Francoso, Dorthy Thielsen, Federico La-Tona, Benjamin Arthur, and Luke Night! See more…

 Photo by Randy Brooke.

On Thursday, May 3rd the Academy of Art University hosted it’s annual Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony, an unforgettable evening of sartorial splendor. Press, industry, students, family, and friends – not to mention our awesome Guests of Honor – all packed into our new venue at The Cannery for a seriously impressive show. Academy of Art University President, Dr. Elisa Stephens, opened the show, welcoming all of the fashionable attendees and presenting Honorary Doctorates to Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, Philip Treacy, milliner, and Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, president and CEO of the ALFA and AL HAMA luxury retail corporations who own and operate Harvey Nichols, Donna Karan, and DKNY stores in Saudi Arabia. The flashbulbs (alright cellphones – but flashbulbs sounds so much cooler) were going wild as our guests took to the stage to receive their honorary degrees. Other front row players included Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, Cathy Horyn, fashion critic for The New York Times, Stephan Rabimov, editor in chief of DEPESHA magazine, Jayne Seward, fashion editor of California Apparel News, and Katie Hintz-Zambrano, senior editor at Refinery29 – suffice it to say that there were some serious industry heavyweights in the room.

And then it was time for the main attraction – the Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony. The show opened with Renata Lindroos and Mina Fadaie’s collection – a fashion and textile design collaboration inspired by distorted perceptions in 1960s horror films. The architectural pieces looked amazing on the runway, and the prints had everyone mesmerized. Hely Nguyen’s collection followed – a series of structured menswear-inspired looks that play with length and layers. Then it was onto a the collaboration featuring designs by Erica Laba, textiles by Liza Quiñones, and knitwear by Emma Mengchen Yang. The opening look was a sheer, silk organza shirtdress that achieved the perfect balance between prim and provocative. Ethan Chihuan Yang’s minimalist collection featured angular, sculpted silhouettes in dark hues that were simultaneously restrained and dramatic.

Follow the jump to read more! Read more…

Photo Courtesy of TEED.

Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (TEED), aka Orlando Higginbottom, is an amazing musician from the UK, known not only for his distinct electronic sound, but also for his seriously awesome head gear. No – not the kind of head gear you have when you’re twelve – amazing headdresses made from feathers, fabric, fur, wire, mesh, and everything in between. He is searching for a new original headpiece to wear during his performance at Bestival on the Isle of Wight, one of the UK’s biggest summer music festivals, and he wants you to design it!

The headpiece can be as crazy and fantastic as you want, just keep in mind that he needs to be able to move and perform in it (and his ears can’t be covered). We had the chance to see TEED when he was in town performing at Rickshaw Stop last Fall, and it was one of our favorite shows EVER – and that’s saying something. Watching him perform – singing, playing the keyboard, and mixing simultaneously – is literally mind blowing.

Follow the jump for details! Read more…

Name: MJ (Marjani Sykes)

Where do you live? Atlanta, GA

What is your area of study? MFA Fashion Design

What is your current occupation?
I am an independent fashion designer

If you were to die and come back as [a fashion icon], who would it be?
Either Diane Von Furstenberg cause let’s face it she was a princess and she is gorgeous – oh, and she has the most eclectic and exciting design aesthetic ever. Or ☺ John Galliano, I know, I know he is not on everyone’s favorite person list right now but man, oh man, the art he creates is without a doubt amazing. I would just want to be in that head, who thinks like that?!?!

What is your most treasured possession?
Other than my family, pets and friends, I would say my Louis Vuitton suede, square toed, chunky heel pumps. They have 2 silver balls on the front, one large, one small with the LV emblem and flower. I LOVE them. I have never seen anyone with those before so when I wear them I feel like a D-I-V-A and they go with EVERYTHING! And… my Michael Jackson OPUS, it is the most beautiful “book” ever. It has the awesome pictures and stories about him, he was such an icon and a wonderful human being, the OPUS just highlights his assets.

Who are your favorite [fashion] writers?
Rachel Strugatz – She writes for WWD she does accessories and social media. When I read her articles, I feel like I am learning something new in a fun way. WWD has their finger on the pulse of everything fashion and I think Rachel writes in a way that helps you find your way in this complicated fashion world. I follow her on Twitter and her tweets are very amusing and all her!

Follow the jump to read more! Read more…

Illustration by Elizabeth Suter.

Elizabeth Suter, famed fashion illustrator and mentor to many, sadly died in April. Her obituary was just published in The Telegraph, in which friends and colleagues remember her fondly. School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer recalls her time as a student of Suter’s:

Suter drew like an angel and now she can draw the angels in Heaven and maybe persuade Lucifer to strike a pose from Hell. She taught countless aspiring fashion illustrators, including me, how to draw. Her studio at St. Martin’s School of Art, as it was known then, in London, was the best place to learn.

She will be missed. To read the obituary, click here.

To learn more about Elizabeth Suter, peruse the lastest issue of 180 Magazine – pg. 147.