We are so excited to announce that School of Fashion alumnae Bethany Meuleners and Sabah Mansoor Husain have been selected to participate in the Macy’s Fashion Incubator program in San Francisco! The program, sponsored by Macy’s West, allows designers to rent sewing workshops at Macy’s and work with fashion, business, and retail experts to build their line.

Bethany and Sabah both graduated from the Academy of Art University in 2010 with Master’s of Fine Arts degrees in Fashion and Knitwear Design. Both designers showed their collections during the Academy of Art University Fall ’10 Fashion Show at New York Fashion Week.

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Karl Lagerfeld’s collection for Net-a-Porter, simply titled Karl, launched yesterday with pop-up stores and parties in Paris, New York, Sydney, Berlin and London. In an interview with Vogue’s Hamish Bowles, Lagerfeld explained that the collection was an expression of his style and taste – he designed clothes that he likes.

The collection of mostly black and white sleek separates flew off shelves yesterday, and several designs are already sold out online. The price-point is much more accessible than Chanel, but it will still set you back a few (average price for an item is around $250). Proving that the line really is all about Karl, he even interviewed himself in a promotional video.

Which items are you coveting? Tell us in the comments below!

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After a few teaser photos here and there – the Jason Wu for Target complete collection has finally been released! The collection features lots of pretty pleats, prim blouses, and nautical stripes. The dresses are flirty and feminine, and the separates are perfect for mixing and matching. Even the accessories are to-die-for! Raffia handbags and printed scarves, perfect to add that extra something to an everyday outfit. And, at under $60 per piece, you can scoop up several coveted items! This collection is sure to fly off the shelves, so mark your calendars for February 5th!!

Which items are you hoping to snag? Tell us in the comments below!

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Photo Courtesy of Deviant Art

Just yesterday, Coachella released their 2012 lineup via Facebook and Twitter. The headliners are The Black Keys, Radiohead, and Dr. Dre & Snoop Dogg. The much anticipated return of French electro-duo Justice is not to be missed, we can’t wait to hear their new rock-infused sound, as well as the reunions of Mazzy Star and At the Drive-In, and new material from The Shins. And Florence + the Machine is sure to have a stellar performance as well.

But – like any music festival vet knows – the real gems are the lesser known acts, the fine print if you will. Neon Indian always puts on a great show, as do The Vaccines, Metronomy, and Lissie. One of our personal faves and probably one of the most talented artists out there right now, Gary Clark, Jr. also made the cut – we fell in love with his bluesy sound during a private concert at John Varvatos in SF. Other notables: Santigold, Beirut, The Weeknd, Gotye, Bon Iver, M83 – okay this could go on for days, and we’ve barely even touched on the stellar electro artists on the roster (Swedish House Mafia, AVICII, David Guetta, Clavin Harris – just to name a few). We do have to take a moment to saluate the Bay Area bands holding it down this year – tUne-yArDs, GIRLS – though we wish there were more.

Let the countdown begin – only 93 days until weekend 1! Who are you most excited to see? Let us know in the comments below!

P.S. Tickets go on sale this Friday, January 13 at 10 AM – they’re sure to go quick! And if you hadn’t heard, Coachella will run for two weekends this year. Weekend 1 is April 13-15, and Weekend 2 is April 20-22.

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President Obama with First Lady Michelle Obama in a dress by Jason Wu at the Inaugural Ball.

The 2012 Presidential campaigns are well under way, and it looks like President Obama will have the most fashionable campaign – EVER. Twenty-two designers have partnered with the Obama campaign initiative Runway to Win, for which designers will create merchandise to help raise funds for the President’s 2012 Reelection Campaign.

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In today’s edition of Monday Morning Photos, we bring you some of our favorite looks from the Pre-Fall 2012 Collections! It is amazing that designers even have the time for Pre-Fall – but these looks certainly do not disappoint. Lots of color, cropped pants, swing coats and more! What were your favorite looks from the Pre-Fall collections? Tell us in the comments below!

3.1 Phillip Lim

Zac Posen

Alexander Wang

Burberry Prorsum

Chanel

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More collaboration photos folks!! These hail from the Marni for H&M collection, which will hit stores on March 8, 2012. The thoughtful designer created a special T-shirt to raise funds for the Red Cross in Japan to help with its earthquake relief work. Twenty-five percent of sales from the unisex tee will be donated to the cause. It features a child’s hand-drawn image – charming and optimistic. Let the countdown continue – only 63 more days!

The first few pieces from Jason Wu’s capsule collection for Target have been released – and we have to say they definitely have us excited! The pieces are signature Wu, flirty and feminine, and also take direct inspiration from French New Wave films and actress Jean Seberg – what Wu calls “gamine chic.”

“My goal was not to duplicate anything from my main collection,” the designer explained. “Instead, I designed completely new clothes and accessories that reflect my taste and have a voice of their own.”

The collection will hit stores February 5 – and let’s hope that Target learned their lesson from the Missoni debacle!

[Source: Glamour.com]

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… Jordan Epstein! Jordan chose Yves Saint Laurent’s Cocoon wedding dress from 1965. Not only could Jordan’s choice most definitely be included in the Impossible Collection of Fashion -  she took the time to draw it and her sketch is beautiful!! It was clear that she put a lot of time and thought into the submission – we even learned a few things from her explanation. So congratulations Jordan!!

It was very hard for our judges to pick just one – you all submitted such amazing, gorgeous dresses! Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to enter the contest – we hope that it inspired you!

And a HUGE thank you to ASSOULINE for making this contest possible! You have been such great friends of the School of Fashion and your generosity is greatly appreciated. Your books are a constant inspiration in every way possible and we feel so lucky to be able to share them with our students – thank you so much! Students – be sure to check out all of the amazing books over at ASSOULINE.com and in the library at 180 New Montgomery!

Below are a just a few of the amazing entries – they were all so wonderful!

Zangchi Wang – who submitted an original piece from a design project. She was inspired by 16th century fashion as well as contemporary sculpture, and the concept was “quiet movement” – the pieces look as if they are blowing in the wind. These are so amazing – thank you Zangchi!

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On Thursday, December 15th, 2011, students from the School of Fashion unveiled their window displays at the InterContinental Mark Hopkins Hotel. Since 2005, visual merchandising students have worked with the hotel each year to create interior window displays that highlight the hotel’s rich and exciting history.

Three of the displays are located on the California level and one is located on the main level. The main level display is titled, “New Kids on the Block” and showcases new employees at the hotel. The geometric shapes create a modern display that contrasts beautifully with hotel’s vintage feel.

New Kids on the Block – By Gina Chou and Kevin Mihovich. L-R: Instructor Martin Zanfardino, Gina Chou, and Jim Cardosa

On the California level, the first display is “Greetings from the Mark”. Set against a beautiful background of the Mark Hopkins Hotel in the San Francisco skyline, vintage postcards cascade from a hand-constructed mailbox. The postcards tell stories of guests’ adventures at The Mark, dating all the way back to the 1930s. Many of the post-cards were bought online from vintage dealers, and give the display true meaning, as they are part of the hotel’s story.

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