WHEN: Opening Party Saturday, November 12 from 6:00-12:00 PM
WHERE: RGB Shop + Gallery – 3024 Fillmore Street at Union, San Francisco
A group exhibition focusing on the creative process of designing – everything that happens Before it Was Sewn. Featuring work by Bay Area artists Zoë Hong, School of Fashion Instructor Briana Kranz, Faithy Leong, and New York photographer (and AAU Alum) Deborah Atalig. It will be an amazing night of art, inspiration, music, and more!
Pulitzer Prize winning Photography graduate, Deanne Fitzmaurice will be stopping by the Academy of Art University at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 14 for a special lecture and a signing of her recently published book, Freak Season about San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum.
The lecture will discuss visual storytelling through multimedia — a skill that all majors (including fashion students) can benefit from.
Here are the details:
WHAT? Visual Storytelling: Stills & Motion: a presentation by School of Photography Graduate & Pulitzer Prize Winner, Deanne Fitzmaurice
WHEN? 7 p.m., Thursday July 14
WHERE? 79 New Montgomery Auditorium, San Francisco
I have known Laure du Pavillon for many years, as the power behind the Christian Lacroix shows. She began her career at Nina Ricci before joining the House of Jean Patou where she worked alongside the young and still “unknown” designer, Christian Lacroix who single handedly revived the dying art of Haute Couture and put women into Pouffs. Laure stepped into the role of PR Director for Christian Lacroix, a position she held for 22 years, organizing Lacroix’s Paris shows four times a year and managing the image of the brand internationally. It was Laure who decided who would be invited and where they would sit.
After some confusion with my seating one season, I paid a visit to Laure in her office at Faubourg St. Honoré and explained that I don’t mind where I sit as long as I can see the shoes and so a seat on the aisle on a raised row facing towards the end where models emerge would be a most helpful! After that, I never had a problem. I had perfect seats. Let me add, I tried to explain this concept to many people, even learned the phrase Le Premier Rang Surélevé.
On occasion our exchange students studying in Paris turned up at the gates to crash the show. Laure always let them in. One of them, Christine Ligan, was hired by Lacroix and her textile design was on the cover of WWD. Sadly, M. Lacroix’s last show was on July 7, 2009 at Les Arts Décoratifs; and there was not a dry eye in the show.
Zandra will share her photos, inspiration, and design process for the costumes she created for the 2010 opening season of the San Francisco Opera’s Aida.
This past Sunday, Gladys went the the technical rehearsal for Aida to visit Zandra and her gorgeous designs — here she is hard at work:
And here is Gladys Perint Palmer and Zandra Rhodes after the rehearsal. As you can see, they are still hanging in there!
Classes on Thursday May 6 at 10 a.m. might be bare because the School of Fashion students will probably be at Morgan Auditorium for the discussion with Suzy Menkes, Fashion Editor of the International Herald Tribune and guest of honor at this year’s graduation fashion show. Executive Director of Fashion, Gladys Perint Palmer’s discussion with Menkes will center on the question, “If Fashion is for Everyone — is it Fashion?”
In a one-on-one interview (similar to last year’s event), they will discuss the accessibility of fashion, the future of newspapers and magazines, blogging, luxury, sustainability, and young designers wanting to set up their own brands.
Here are the discussion details just in case you missed them the first time:
WHAT? “If Fashion is for Everyone – is it Fashion?” discussion with Suzy Menkes, Fashion Editor of International Herald Tribune, and Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of Fashion
WHEN? Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 10 a.m.
WHERE? Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street, between Mason and Powell Streets
About Suzy Menkes
British-born Suzy Menkes is the fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune, was named an officer of the Order of the British Empire for her services to journalism, and named a chevalier of the Legion of Honor by President Jacques Chirac of France. She has been head fashion reporter and Editor for the International Herald Tribune since 1988.
Keanan Duffty, the award winning British fashion designer, will be a part of the huge guest list we have coming to our school in May. He will be doing a special panel discussion at 3 p.m. on Wednesday May 5 where he will discuss his book, Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style. Tracing the roots of rebel style to the music scene, the presentation will explore how fashionable music and “anti-fashion” icons, like David Bowie, the Sex Pistols, and Gwen Stefani, have inspired fashion.
The book covers a wide range of iconic pieces that embody “anti-style.” The classic leather jacket (think Brando or Joan Jett) remains a symbol of “outsider-dom,” while jeans have been reimagined as a style centerpiece by every generation. The skirt is constantly being reappraised, whether it’s mini, peasant, or frou-frou, to simultaneously celebrate and subvert images of femininity. Rebel, Rebel is the anti-style bible that will inspire the next generation of designers, fashionistas, and club kids alike.
I know you’re craving for more information about him — so here are a couple of tidbits for you to chew on:
- He won the Fashion Group International Rising Star Award in 2003
- He is the Creative Director of “Keanan Duffty For Target,” which sold at over 1200 Target stores across America.
- He is the Creative Director for Ben Sherman tailored clothing, consulted for Nautica and Dockers, and collaborated with Aveda, Reebok, Gola, and Dr. Martens footwear.
- Duffty’s clothes have a celebrity following that includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Aerosmith, The New York Dolls, Mick Jagger, Iggy Pop, Elizabeth Jagger, Steven Dorff, Jimmy Fallon, Smashing Pumpkins, among others.
- Polina Pfliger, a Fashion Merchandising major, interviewed him for our latest issue of One Eighty (the piece can be seen in the slide show below)
Here are the full details of the panel discussion:
WHAT? Rebel Fashion Panel Discussion presented by Keanan Duffty, designer and author of Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style by Rizzoli, 2009
WHEN? Wednesday, May 5, 2010 @ 3:00 PM
WHERE? Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street, between Mason and Powell Streets
You should go. All the cool kids are going to be there.
Akiko Fukai, author of Fashion: The Collection of the Kyoto Costume Institute – A History from the 18th to the 20th Century visits our school on March 15
Focus On Your Closet: Spring Cleaning Begins!
Give 2, Take 1
Start cleaning out your closets and setting aside clothes and accessories for the April 17th clothing swap and clothing drive hosted by Beyond the Front Row (fashion club) and the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco. This event, Give 2, Take 1 (“G2T1”), will function as a fundraiser for the club, and a charitable clothing-drive for St. Vincent’s community programs.
Here’s the deal: for every 2 items donated, donors get to take (or ‘swap’) 1 item in return – hence the name “Give 2, Take 1”. All items remaining at the end of the April 17th swap will be donated to St. Vincent’s. This fun sustainable–charitable event also happens to coincide with Earth Day! Collection of donations begins the last week of March, on campus and elsewhere. Details to follow.
Please note: Clothing and accessories donations will happily be accepted, regardless of participation in the clothing swap. St. Vincent’s is in urgent need of men’s clothing – additional donations from the closets of boyfriends, husbands, brothers, and sons would be greatly appreciated!
Now accepting donations of: coat hangers and shopping bags at 180 New Montgomery, office #704.
Open House / Open Studio
Saturday March 6, 2010
180 New Montgomery – 9:00am – 5:00pm
Meet, greet, and host prospective School of Fashion students (and their parents) as they tour the MFA Studio and the 7th Floor. *Beyond the Front Row will be organizing shoe donations in room 713 from 8:30am – 11:00am; please consider including this community service project as part of your tour (see below for more information).
Community Service Day Projects from Beyond the Front Row
Saturday, March 6, 2010 (2 events)
National Odd Shoe Exchange
180 New Montgomery, Room 713, 8:30am – 11:30am
At last month’s Shoe-In fashion club members voted to donate all the shoes collected and used for the holiday “shoe-tree” project to the National Odd Shoe Exchange, www.oddshoe.org This non-profit organization supplies single shoes, as well as pairs of different-sized shoes, to those in need due to injury, disease and/or genetic disorders. BTFR club members will be sorting, organizing and preparing to ship the shoes to the National Odd Shoe Exchange during the Open House / Open Studio (room 713).
Wee Scotty
Concourse Exhibition Center at 8th Street & Brannan, 10:00am – 3:00pm
Beyond the Front Row members offer their sewing, construction and fashion illustration skills to assist some of the young Wee Scotty designers (ages 7+) and Wee Scotty proprietors with demonstrations for the community exhibition.
A look from Chanel’s Spring 2010 Haute Couture collection
Gladys Perint Palmer will be talking it up and breaking it down at a special lecture (complete with a clever slideshow) on Wednesday Feb. 24. She’ll share her stories and witty insight on her trips to the Spring 2010 Paris Couture shows and our recent show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2010.
Here’s the info:
WHEN? Wednesday, February 24, 2010, 9:30am – 11:00am
WHERE? Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street, San Francisco
All fashion students welcome! Instructors feel free to bring your classes!
Bertrand Pellegrin, a 2004 alumnus stopped by last night to promote his new book, Branding the Man: Why Men Are the Next Frontier in Fashion Retail. Sitting down with Dwell editor and San Francisco Chronicle “Pocket Square” columnist, Aaron Britt, Pelligrin discussed ways in which stores can sell to men, what men are looking for when purchasing goods, and how store environments and professionalism amongst salespeople affect the overall shopping experience. After a forty-five minute interview, Britt opened the floor up for questions then afterward, Pelligrin stayed to sign copies of his book and take pictures with attendees. For those of you interested in picking up a copy, Alexander Book Company on 2nd Street has them in stock.
Bertrand Pellegrin and Branding the Man
Thursday, November 12th
7:00pm-8:00pm, 79 Auditorium
MFA Fashion Merchandising alumnus and author, Bertrand Pellegrin, will discuss his newly published book, Branding the Man, with columnist Aaron Britt from the San Francisco Chronicle. The discussion will also include a Q&A.
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