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.

To purchase the book visit www.rizzoliusa.com

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.

For more events follow the jump. Read more…

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.

Written by: Claudia Paolinelli

“Beyond the Front Row” initial meeting for the re-launch of the Fashion Club
Thursday, November 12th
3:00pm, 180 New Montgomery, Room 151

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.

Q&A with Suzy Menkes, fashion editor, International Herald Tribune

Moderated by Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of Fashion

Having recently participated in the 2009 Sustainable Luxury Conference in New Delhi, Ms. Menkes recalled some of the topics addressed including how fashion houses are rethinking their carbon footprint. She also expanded upon the future of online fashion journalism, blogging, Twitter, environmental and economic concerns, as well as her optimistic thoughts on the future of fashion.

The School of Fashion at Academy of Art University welcomed renowned artists, editors, and publishers to San Francisco this past week to observe the graduate fashion show, announce internships and awards, and take part in a panel discussion.  The panel, which included fashion illustrator David Downton and publishers Martine and Prosper Assouline, discussed the uncertain future of fashion in today’s interactive new media driven society.

“The future of illustration is fantastic!” said Downton of the formerly booming industry which has seen a sharp decline in fashion magazines since the advent of digital photography.  Downton believes that designers and magazines are returning to fashion illustration as a simpler, more cost effective way to brand themselves in the fashion world.  He’s enjoying the constant flow of work coming his way, but isn’t too worried about the future, confidently declaring, “You make your own luck in this industry.”  No doubt Mr. Downton is right — the renowned portraitist and illustrator should have no trouble keeping busy, with or without the digital revolution.

One industry particularly affected by the rise of the internet is publishing.  Husband and wife, Martine and Prosper Assouline, are no strangers to the world of publishing, producing hundreds of exquisite titles on art, fashion, travel, home, and iconography through Assouline Publishing.Despite the increase of internet use and the decline of newspaper readership, though, the Assouline’s aren’t worried.  Prosper admits, “The future of fashion will not be in magazines — it’s going to be through the new media available today,” but that doesn’t replace a strong market for quality books.  The couple agree that some print media cannot be replaced by its digital counterpart, including the experience of reading a beautifully bound, packaged, and printed art book.  The Assoulines have plenty in the works for the coming year with no plans to deviate from the luxury element that sets their titles apart from the rest.

- Written by Melissa Tan, BFA Fashion Journalism

Fashion and Media Leaders Panel Discussion

Moderated by Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of Fashion

The panel guests spoke of their background and the state of their industries in the current economic climate.

Panel participants included (from left to right) Prosper Assouline, Martine Assouline, David Downton, Madeleine Czigler and Patrick Cabasset.

Prosper and Martine Assouline - founders of Assouline Publishing, the foremost publisher in the world on fashion and style. For the past ten years, Assouline Publishing (www.assouline.com) has created lavish illustrated books dedicated to fashion, photography, art and design. Renowned for their highly original graphic concepts, Assouline books are works of art that capture culture and bring it to life. The spirit and savoir-faire of these works have contributed to the creation of a unique, eclectic, chic and elegant brand that is immediately identifiable. Today, Assouline publications are found around the globe. Assouline has freestanding boutiques in Paris at St Germain des Prés and New York at The Plaza Hotel, and in-store boutiques in Miami, Mexico, Dubai, Doha, and soon to be added in Milan, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Toronto and San Francisco.

David Downton - world-renowned fashion illustrator (www.daviddownton.com). He is the founder and publisher of Pourquoi Pas? A Journal of Fashion Illustration (www.pqpmagazine.com). His recent work has been included in Victoria and Albert Museum exhibitions and in the museum’s 150th Anniversary album, as well as on the cover of 100 Years of Fashion Illustration by Cally Blackman. His Illustrations are featured prominently by stores including Browns, Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Marks & Spencer, Saks Fifth Avenue, Selfridges, Tiffany & Co. and Topshop, in magazines such as Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Harpers & Queen, L’Officiel, Tatler and Vogue, and in publicity material for British Academy film awards. Downton’s portraits include model Erin O’Connor, burlesque performer Dita Von Teese and Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth I.

Madeleine Czigler - Fashion File TV producer. Each week, Fashion File travels the globe to profile the personalities of the fashion industry, including models, stylists, photographers and editors. The show explores their professional careers and personal lives against a backdrop of fashion shows and magazine cover shoots. Fashion File is a co-production of CBC Television and Fashion Magazine; and is considered the best program about fashion and lifestyle on television.

Patrick Cabasset - editor in chief of L’Officiel magazine. Launched in 1921, L’Officiel was the first French magazine to appear in China and today has editions in Russia, Japan and India. Cabasset has worked at publications including Journal du Textile, Vogue Paris, Elle Japan, Dépêche Mode, Le Monde, Vogue Homme, View On Colour, Le Point, Gap, Profession Textile, Maison Française, Marie-Claire Maison, and Glamour.

Fusing Fashion and Business Panel Discussion

Moderated by Sharon Murphy, Director of Merchandising

Guests spoke on the current economic climate, as well as developing retail and business strategies to move forward. The panel included:

Ben Ospital founder of MAC - Modern Appealing Clothing, located in the Hayes Valley district of San Francisco

Monica Carlson VP of Inventory and Planning, Merchandise Operations and Business Intelligence at Sephora

Dawn Dzedzy Director of Marketing, Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco