Looks from Renata Lindroos and Mina Fadaie, Kim Tran and Orly Ruaimi, and Zhangchi Wang. 
Photos Courtesy of Randy Brooke. 

We were honored to have Cathy Horyn, fashion critic for The New York Times, attend our Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony for the second year in a row (she was the 2011 Guest of Honor). Even more exciting – she featured our students’ collections on her NY Times blog, On the Runway!

Here is a snippet from the piece:

[Simon Ungless] certainly put together a strong group of graduates this year. Twenty-three fashion and textile students participated, along with a couple of fine-arts students majoring in sculpture or jewelry design. Among the standout presentations were photo-print dresses based on 1960s horror film, by Renata Lindroos and Mina Fadaie; a clever take on the eternal fashion theme of “Grey Gardens,” by Kim Tran and Orly Ruaimi; embossed felt garments, based on Chinese stone carvings, by Zhangchi Wang; neo-Art Deco and embellished designs by Jacqueline Rabot and Julie Seltzer; and miniature garments with religious overtones by Maria A. Romero.

To read the entire article, click here.

For more information on the Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony, click here.

The Met Gala Red Carpet. Photo Courtesy of Kevin Tachman/Vogue.

Each year we look forward to The Met Gala for two reasons: 1) It means the opening of an amazing new exhibit curated by the folks at the Met’s Costume Institute and 2) Because the red carpet is always amazing. The annual opening night shindig is basically the Oscars of the fashion world, so you know that everyone will be dressed to impress. There were a number of ladies wearing designs by the woman of the evening, Miuccia Prada, whose inventive work makes up half of the exhibition – Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations. Our favorite Prada look was worn by Carey Mulligan, whose gold and silver paillette-covered dress glittered beautifully amidst the flash bulbs. We also loved Anna Wintour’s Prada gown that paid homage to the late Schiaparelli with a gold, beaded lobster.

Carey Mulligan and Anna Wintour – both in Prada. Photo Courtesy of Getty Images.

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She was with us last week as our Guest of Honor – and this week she’s climbing to the Mount Everest Base Camp! Her Royal Highness Princess Reema Bandar Al-Saud, a founding member of the Zahra Breast Cancer Association, is embarking on this journey to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention through healthy lifestyle habits and physical activity.

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Live tweeting from fashion shows is the norm these days – and our Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony was no exception! Students, press, guests and more were tweeting about all of the amazing designs coming down the runway. We’ve rounded up a few of the most exciting Tweets from the evening for your viewing pleasure!

@sfunzipped: Suzy Menkes, Cathy Horyn, Sarah Burton and Philip Treacy are front row at @aaufashion show

@9to5Chic: Great start to the show @aaufashion!! http://instagr.am/p/KMCAk7rr2d/ 

@GenArt: Obsessed with this look by Julie Seltzer & Jacqueline Rabot at @aaufashion show @ The Cannery instagr.am/p/KMWsfltcij/

@sfunzipped: Cathy Horyn says @aaufashion was a “fantastic show” as she announces CFDA scholarships.

@starsmodelmgmt: And so it ends…what beautiful show. Congratulations @aaufashion students. #ammmmaaaaaazing http://twitpic.com/9gzkkw

@sffashiontech: Congrats to @aaufashion for a wonderful inspiring show! Textures, colors, motifs, biased cuts, & passion. Bravo!

@sfindiefashion: congrats to all the @aaufashion designers tonight – you guys are so inspiring!

@AFAccelorator: We are still on a fashion high from the @aaufashion #AAUfashionshow last night. Sarah Burton @WorldMcQueen is so gracious and kind

And you can’t even imagine how excited we were when we saw this:

@TrendsSF: AAU Fashion School, @aaufashion is now trending in #SFtrendsmap.com/us/san+francis…

Thank you to everyone who came out to support our amazing students – and to those of you Tweeted!

Cocktail-inspired washes are the theme and a natural fit for Grp.E Jeans’ 2012 Summer Collection. The public is invited to be the first to see them on Friday, May 4th at 7pm in SOMA. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

WHEN: Friday, May 4, 2012 ~ 7 to 9 pm

WHERE: 965 Mission Street ~ Suite 205, San Francisco

Please RSVP at here.

The windows at 79 New Montgomery are in full fashion mode! Each window features former Guests of Honor including Oscar de la Renta, Rosita and Tai Missoni, Azzedine Alaïa, and more – all illustrated by School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer. And included in several of the displays are runway images from students’ collections who earned internships with our prestigious guests.

We’ll find out who will join the ranks of these very lucky students tonight at the Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony – fingers crossed for all of our amazing students!

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Mimi Iwasaki was born in the Philippines but also spent several years of her childhood in Japan. While working towards her B.F.A. in Fashion Design at the Academy of Art University, Iwasaki worked as an intern at Joseph Domingo Design Studios. Her collection was inspired by Japanese youths and their interpretation of traditional adult clothing – the sharp silhouettes are softened by subtle draping and pleating. Iwasaki constructed the collection using cotton, linen, and lightweight wool.

For more on the 2012 Graduation Fashion Show and events, click here.

Rachel Sansom was raised in Folsom, California and went to Folsom High School. She attended the Academy of Art University, earning a B.F.A. in Fashion Design and Textile Design. In 2008, she was awarded the David Downtown Award for Fashion Illustration. Sansom collaborated with B.F.A. Knitwear Design student Chelsea Levinson, on a collection inspired by David Hockney’s colorful and graphic paintings that portrayed life in Los Angeles in the 1960s and ‘70s. She constructed the garments using organic cotton twill, poplin, voile, and cotton pimatex.

Chelsea Levinson hails from Las Vegas, Nevada where she attended Palo Verde High School. She came to the Academy of Art University to earn a B.F.A. in Knitwear Design. Levinson collaborated with B.F.A. Womenswear Fashion Design student Rachael Sansom, who was inspired by David Hockney’s colorful and graphic paintings from the 1960s and ‘70s. Her knits add dimension and texture to the collection.

Rachael Sansom and Chelsea Levinson.

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Maria A. Romero was born in Santa Barbara, California but grew up in Brillante de Miramar in Mexico. She graduated from Carpenteria High School before coming to the Academy of Art University to pursue a B.F.A. in Fashion Design. Her collection was inspired by her childhood memories of Dulces de Reliquias – traditional Mexican candies given out during nativity ceremonies surrounding the Christmas holiday. She sought to recreate the colors and textures of the candies using silk chiffon, silk organza, silk taffeta, and tulle.

Romero produced the collection on a series of dolls, and collaborated with students from the School of Animation and Visual Effects to bring the collection to life. Travis Weaver, Victoria Simiele, Mireya Francoso, Dorthy Thielsen, Federico La-Tona, Benjamin Arthur, and Luke Night created a stop-animation video showcasing the collection, which will be shown at the Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony.

For more on the 2012 Graduation Fashion Show and events, click here.

Kim Tran was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and raised in San Jose, California where she went to Piedmont Hills High School.  She attended the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising where she earned an A.A. in Fashion Design, before coming to the Academy of Art University to pursue a B.F.A. in Fashion Design. Her collection was inspired by Edie Beal’s psychedelic adventures in the 1960s. Tran collaborated with M.F.A. Sculpture and Jewelry Design student Orly Ruaimi, who created original pieces to go with the collection.

Orly Ruaimi grew up in Afula, Israel and attended George Mason University in Washington, D.C. before coming to the Academy of Art University to pursue an M.F.A. in Sculpture and Jewelry Design. She was inspired by elements that make up the foundation or skeleton of a home, and how they resemble the structures upon which life is built. They are meaningless on their own – but gain significance as they come together to form The Matrix. She constructs the jewelry using recycled pieces of metal, cable ropes, and handmade ceramics.

Kim Tran and Orly Ruaimi. Photo Courtesy of Walter Parada.

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