Patrik Ervell, who was a School of Fashion honored guest and Award of Excellence recipient in 2010, has finally launched a women’s wear line! He won the Ecco Domani Award for best men’s wear designer in 2007 and was nominated by the CFDA for best men’s wear designer this past year for his spectacular designs. His clothes are truly amazing, so it’s not wonder the ladies took notice – often purchasing the men’s wear for themselves. Women’s wear was a natural progression for the designer, who told Fashionista, “I think my girl might sometimes dabble in menswear pieces, but the new collection also has a serious women’s component too.” Did he just describe our ideal collection? I think so!

Peep some of the looks after the jump! Read more…

Academy of Art University School of Fashion student Chris Lee is a finalist in the Color Collection T-Shirt Design Contest sponsored by Vitamin Water and the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In April, David Neville and Marcus Wainwright from Rag & Bone and Andrea Linett, creative director of eBay fashion, visited the school to talk about their experiences in the industry as well as promote the contest. Contestants had to submit artwork for a Vitamin Water inspired t-shirt design and Chris’ design was chosen as one of the lucky finalists!

The winner will join the ranks with established designers such as Derek Lam, Chris Benz, Richard Chai, and the duos behind Vena Cava, Rag & Bone, and Shipley & Halmos who have all contributed designs for the Color Collection, as well as receive a $5,000 grant to start their own collection~

The contest ends tomorrow – and the winner is chosen based on votes – so go to the Vitamin Water Facebook page, like it, and vote for Chris Lee’s design!!

Good luck Chris!!

Lady Gaga at last night's 2011 CFDA Fashion Awards at Alice Tully Hall in New York. (AP Photo/Peter Kramer)

Last night, Lady Gaga won the “Fashion Icon” award at the CFDA Awards. It’s been causing quite a discussion in the media and the blogosphere. We decided to ask the students in the School of Fashion what they thought about Gaga’s iconic status through our Facebook page and Twitter accounts — and you gave us a lot of opinions:

She has her own unique style that’s talked about all over the world. She takes risks like no other
- @Shereen_S via Twitter

…almost everything she wears is more for show or attention — like a costume, rather than a truly put together everyday look. It’s one thing if this award was for “most unique” or something, but this is supposed to be a fashion icon award. Fashion icons are supposed to inspire people with their looks and even cause them to adopt the same or a similar look. They’re trendsetters. Gaga doesn’t do this at all.
-Yves Dudley via Facebook

She couldn’t be a fashion icon. An icon inspires people, and makes their followers want to be like them. No one dresses like Lady Gaga.
-Linzy Allen via Facebook

…what makes her an icon? The fact that she is weird?
-Kurtis Langford via Facebook

She totally deserves it — and im a fashion & costume design student who dresses just as outrageous on a regular basis. Also, I dont believe the likes of Alexander McQueen, Thierry Mugler and the fashion genius Jean Paul Gaultier would have anything to with her UNLESS she was a lover and wearer of high fashion and couture.
-Sorian Grey via Facebook

What are your thoughts? Now’s the time to chime in!

Last night, they handed out the Council of Fashion Designers of America (a.k.a. the CFDA) Awards. And here are this year’s recipients:

Womenswear Designer of the Year
Nominees: Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, Marc Jacobs
The winner: Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler

Menswear Designer of the Year
The nominees: Michael Bastian, Patrik Ervell, Simon Spurr
The winner: Michael Bastian

Accessory Designer of the Year
The nominees: Alexander Wang, Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez for Proenza Schouler, Reed Krakoff
The winner: Alexander Wang

Swarovski Award for Womenswear
The nominees: Joseph Altuzarra, Ashley Olsen and Mary-Kate Olsen, Prabal Gurung
The winner: Prabal Gurung

Swarovski Award for Accessory Design
The nominees: Alejandro Ingelmo, Eddie Borgo, Jason Wu, Pamela Love
The winner: Eddie Borgo

Swarovski Award for Menswear
The nominees: Alexander Wang, Phillip Lim, Robert Geller
The winner: Robert Geller

Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award
Marc Jacobs

CFDA Board of Directors Special Tribute
Arthur Elgort

Fashion Icon Award
Lady Gaga

Eugenia Sheppard Media Award
Hilary Alexander of The Telegraph

Eleanor Lambert Founders Award
Hal Rubenstein of InStyle

International Award
Phoebe Philo for Céline

What are your thoughts of this year’s winners?

Keanan Duffty a mainstay at our show during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week and a past guest of honor at our 2010 spring San Francisco Fashion Show, has started his own blog based on his book, Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style.

The blog works as an extension of the book and explores “the look that’s dominating fashion form the catwalk to the club: rebel style.” The blog is a look at what’s inspiring Duffty and what’s going on in his creative, yet rebellious, mind. Make sure you follow his blog: rebelrebelantistyle.blogspot.com.

Photo credit: Robert Caplin for The New York Times

In today’s print version of the New York Time (it appeared online yesterday), Ruth La Ferla wrote a very insightful article about Marc Jacobs — fashion’s poster child who can either be 1.) a renowned designer, 2.) tabloid fodder, 3.) a mainstay on the racks of department stores worldwide, 4.) a critic’s punching bag, or 5.) a God to the “fashionista” masses.

Luckily the article — appropriately titled, “The Survivor” — covers all those bases.

Let’s take a look at some quotes from the article:

“His shows have impact,” said André Leon Talley, Vogue’s editor at large. “They become the major, pivotal, prophetic moment of the season.”

OK. We can live with that. His shows are somewhat “important” to the industry — even if they do start three hours late.

Here’s what Mr. Jacobs had to say about his identity as a designer:

“You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t,” he offered serenely. “If you stay with one look, people just say, ‘Oh, he does the same thing every season.’ If you do something different each time, you’re some kind of fashion imposter.”

Jacobs in 1985

Takishma Faison, a “disaffected” fashion student in the article said the following about the designer: “At one time, his style was very distinctive. It had a recognizable look.” Today, she finds his offerings “kind of commercial, kind of watered down. They don’t look ‘designer,’ ” she said. She added that if she had the means, she would instead turn to Prada or Lanvin.

In turn, Mr. Jacobs said this about his critics:

“I’m going to be defensive here,” he said, shifting slightly in his chair. “People are always going to want newness in fashion, just like they want new pop stars.” Yet he conceded a touch wistfully, “Maybe there’s something I’m missing. I don’t know … ”

With all that said, what do you think of Marc Jacobs? Is he a “survivor?” Or are you, like Faison, disaffected by him? Read the article (by clicking here) and chime in. We’re dying to hear what you have to say!

Chris Li, (from left) Casey Evangelista and Ran Bi were presented with CFDA awards by New York Times fashion critic, Cathy Horyn. Photo credit: Randy Brooke

Three students received some special news last week when New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn announced the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) 2011 Scholarship Award Winners.

Horyn, a special guest at our fashion show, presented the prestigious CFDA scholarships to Chris Li, Casey Evangelista, and Ran Bi. Li was awarded a $5,000 scholarship and Bi was awarded $10,000. Evangelista scored the $10,000 CFDA Scholarship for The Clara Hancox Scholarship Award for Menswear Design.

Congratulations to all three! The awards were well-deserved.

Last week, David Neville and Marcus Wainwright from Rag & Bone as well as Andrea Linett, creative director of eBay fashion paid a visit to our school to talk about their experience in the industry and their insight.

The event included a discussion moderated by Fashion Marketing instructor Gabriel Gima as well as a presentation of Rag & Bone’s collection and a Q&A with the students in the audience. The event was to also talk about a contest hosted the Council of Fashion Designers of America and vitaminwater®. The School of Fashion was asked to participate in the “Color Collection T-shirt Design Contest” where students have the opportunity to create a T shirt design that could be produced and sold alongside designers from the CFDA as part of the vitaminwater® color collection. The winner also will receive a $5000 grant to kick off their fashion career. (Click here for more details about the contest.)

The event included lots of insight to the hip men’s and women’s wear collection by Rag & Bone as well as Linett’s experience in print journalism (she used to work at Lucky magazine) and her job at eBay. Check out the gallery of pictures below.

All photos by Bob Toy.

We received this in our inbox this week and we thought that we should share it with all of our loyal FSD readers….

For those of you don’t know, the Innovative Design Protection and Piracy Prevention Act (introduced as U.S. Senate Bill 3728) is a proposed legislative act that aims to extend copyright protection to fashion designs.

Last week there was major progress in getting copyright protection for fashion design. The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the bill but Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is on the committee, wants a change that could totally derail our effort. We need her and Senator Charles Schumer, the lead sponsor, to agree on how frivolous lawsuits are handled. Without a deal between them it cannot go to the Senate floor. The more willing she is to compromise, the greater the chance for Senate floor passage.

We need everyone to write Senator Feinstein and ask her to do everything she can to pass the IDPPPA (S.3728) this year. Time is of the essence, as this Congress will only last a few more weeks at the most.

The more California constituents she hears from, the more likely she is to help move the bill to the Senate floor so it can become law this year.

Below are some talking points for an email, which can be VERY short. The key thing is that you say it in YOUR OWN WORDS.

You can email the Senator through via the web feinstein.senate.gov . Send the same email direct to her staff — please send that email to Senator Feinstein via: Neil_Quinter@judiciary-dem.senate.gov.

Introduce yourself as a CALIFORNIA resident/voter/business person and tell her design protection is important to you.

Urge Senator Feinstein not to hold up IDPPPA, S.3728. Below are a few different ways one could say this (again, please use your own words).

• You can tell her you understand she’s raised an issue which is holding up the bill, and ask her to work quickly to make sure the issue gets resolved and our bill can move forward this year.

• Ask her to agree to a compromise as soon as possible, so there can be quick resolution and the Senate can pass the bill this year.
• Whatever she can do to help quickly solve this issue, so that the bill can pass this year, would be greatly appreciated by California designers/retailers, local industry etc.

• You can thank Senator Feinstein for her previous support.

• Ask Neil to please make sure the Senator sees your letter.

Here’s a suggested subject line for your email: FOR SENATOR FEINSTEIN . Important Message on IDPPPA.

Kara Laricks, 2008 MFA Fashion Design Alumna, makes an appearance in the documentary Influencers written and directed by Paul Rojanathara and Davis Johnson. The film is a Polaroid snapshot of New York influential creatives (advertising, design, fashion and entertainment) who are shaping today’s pop culture.