Simon Ungless, Sarah Burton, Dr. Elisa Stephens, Philip Treacy, and Gladys Perint Palmer.

If you missed your chance to see Sarah Burton and Phillip Treacy at the School of Fashion Symposium, here’s a wrap-up of the event!!

The guests of honor: Sarah Burton, creative director for Alexander McQueen and Phillip Treacy, milliner, took the stage on Wednesday May 2nd at 9:30am in the Morgan Auditorium. Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of the School of Fashion, led the Q&A discussion along with Simon Ungless, Director of the School of Fashion, and Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University.

Simon Ungless and Sarah Burton have known each other since 1996, when Simon was her tutor at the Central St. Martins School of Art, in London. Simon is a big fan of Burton’s work – he originally recommended her for an internship to McQueen while she was a young student at the school – and loves her philosophy of the craft. For her part, Burton feels that she continues to be in Simon’s debt, artistically and professionally. “He really provoked me, made me think in a different way,” she recalled.

Her soft-spoken manner was accompanied by quick and thorough responses. She sported a casual look in pale blue jeans, a colorful printed jacket and ankle-strap bright red pointy heels. For a woman with such high-profile status she was completely genuine and down to earth.

The conversation then turned to Treacy who wore a blue track jacket with matching blue sweater, black fitted pants and black boots. He spoke about how hats have come in and out of vogue, commenting that when President Kennedy refused to wear a hat to his inauguration, he “singlehandedly killed the hat industry,” telling a (perhaps apocryphal) story that before the Inauguration, JFK and his brothers were spotted kicking a top hat around in the White House.

Treacy, born in Ireland, continued in his humorous light touch. At one point when Gladys expressed concern about how to wear a hat with her eyeglasses, he responded that she could “always switch to contact lenses.’’ And when President Stephens asked him about the distinction between the fascinators worn at the recent royal wedding, and more conventional hats, he responded: “I’ve never liked that word ‘Fascinators.’ It always sounds like a particularly dodgy sex toy.’’ The audience cracked up.

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Illustration by Gladys Perint Palmer. 

Tomorrow morning, Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director of the School of Fashion, will host a discussion with Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of Academy of Art University, Simon Ungless, Director of the School of Fashion; Guest of Honor Sarah Burton, Creative Director of Alexander McQueen; and Guest of Honor Philip Treacy, milliner.

At our last (brief) symposium with Jean Paul Gaultier, students were delighted with stories from the designers’ years at the forefront of fashion – and we can only hope for more of the same with our awe-inspiring guests!

WHAT: School of Fashion Symposium with Guests of Honor

WHEN: Wednesday, May 2nd at 9:30 AM

WHERE: Morgan Auditorium – 491 Post Street

Follow the jump for a few amazing videos featuring our Guests of Honor – just to hold you over until tomorrow! See more…

Illustration by Gladys Perint Palmer.

We are just one week away from the Graduation Fashion Show and Awards Ceremony – and we’ve got some other amazing events lined up to kick off the festivities! Be sure to mark your calendars for the following events – you definitely don’t want to miss them.

Monday, April 30^th
9:00 – 11:00 AM
Trend Union Fall / Winter 2013-2014
St. Brigid Church – 2151 Van Ness Avenue
Trend Union presents their forecast of fashion and style trends for Fall/Winter 2013-2014. The presentation will detail silhouettes, colors, patterns, and lifestyles for the season. Academy of Art University ID is required for admittance.

Wednesday, May 2^nd
9:30 – 11:00 AM
School of Fashion Symposium with Guests of Honor
Morgan Auditorium – 491 Post Street
Gladys Perint Palmer, Executive Director, hosts a discussion and Q&A with Dr. Elisa Stephens, President of the Academy of Art University; Simon Ungless, Director of the School of Fashion; Guest of Honor Sarah Burton, Creative Director of Alexander McQueen; and Guest of Honor Philip Treacy, milliner.

Thursday, May 3^rd
3:00 – 4:00 PM
University Friends and Family Fashion Show
The Cannery – 2801 Leavenworth Street
The University Friends and Family Fashion Show, hosted by the School of Fashion, is open to all students and faculty from the Academy of Art University. Transportation is available through University shuttles.

Photo Courtesy of David Burton/Associated Press.

School of Fashion guest of honor Sarah Burton was raised and attended school in Manchester, England. She completed foundation courses at Manchester Polytechnic before moving to London to study fashion at Central St. Martin’s College of Art and Design. While at St. Martin’s, she completed a year-long internship with Alexander McQueen.

After graduating from St. Martin’s in 1997, she returned to McQueen and was subsequently appointed the head of women’s wear in 2000. She worked side by side with McQueen for over 10 years, a valuable learning experience for the young designer. “Everything I know I learnt here. If you didn’t know how to do something, Lee made you take on the challenge and would teach you how, or leave you to figure out how to do it yourself,” she remembers. McQueen trusted her implicitly, even calling her “his secret weapon.”

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Sarah Burton – photographed by her husband, David Burton. Photo Courtesy of Interview Magazine.

In this month’s issue of Interview Magazine, there is a massive profile on Alexander McQueen Creative Director (and one of our May guests) Sarah Burton, and – she mentions our very own Simon Ungless! The article features an interview with Burton, conducted by Sarah Jessica Parker, an ardent McQueen enthusiast. They cover the usual gamut of topics – who is the McQueen woman, the experience of working on the Savage Beauty exhibit at the Met, the Royal Wedding – as well as some things that aren’t as well known, like how Burton got her start at McQueen. This is where Simon comes in:

PARKER: You mention interns, and I know a little bit about how you first came to work with McQueen. Some people might be a little bit curious—or a lot curious—about the beginning.

BURTON: I went to a really academic school, but I always wanted to do fashion, and I was lucky enough to get in [to Central Saint Martins] and my tutor at the time, Simon Ungless, was one of Lee’s best friends, and he said, “Oh yeah, you should go and work for my friend Lee.” So I interned with Lee for a year, went back to college, and then came back. It was really lucky in many ways.

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On Thursday, School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer gave a presentation on fashion inspired by her recent travels to London, Paris, Istanbul, and other parts of Turkey. She had some amazing pictures from her travels to Turkey – gorgeous jewels that belonged to the former Grand Vizier, beautiful woven carpets, and intricate patterned tiles. It seems there is beauty everywhere you turn in Turkey – and some irony, too. Genuine fake watches at the bazaar?

One of GPP’s drawings of a Maharaja’s gold belt adorned with emeralds.

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Illustration by Gladys Perint Palmer. From Gaultier Spring/Summer ’12 Haute Couture.

Just wanted to remind you all that there are two very important events happening tomorrow!

First, Unpicking Fashion, a presentation by School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer on the fashion industry past, present, and future, inspired by her recent travels to London, Paris, Instanbul, and parts of Turkey. She will also have a conversation with Academy of Art University President Dr. Elisa Stephens and School of Fashion Director Simon Ungless on the evolution of the University and specifically the School of Fashion.

WHAT: School of Fashion presentation – Unpicking Fashion

WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday – February 16th at 9:30 AM

WHERE: Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street

And second, the student fashion club, Beyond the Front Row, is having their first general meeting! Beyond the Front Row (BtFR) is for students at the Academy of Art University who are either enrolled in the School of Fashion, or who simply have an interest in fashion and want to gain insight into and connect with the industry. It is a social club with a strong emphasis on peer networking and volunteerism at charitable and fashion-related events.

WHAT: Beyond the Front Row First General Meeting of the Spring Semester

WHEN: TOMORROW, Thursday – February 16th, 6:30 PM

WHERE: 625 Polk Street, Room 201

Please join us for a conversation between Academy of Art University President Elisa Stephens, School of Fashion Executive Director Gladys Perint Palmer, and School of Fashion Director Simon Ungless – as they discuss the origin and mission of the university and the rise and growth of School of Fashion.

Gladys Perint Palmer will also take us on a visual journey through the history of fashion inspired by her travels to London, Paris, Istanbul, and other parts of Turkey – where East truly meets West. She will delve into the global nature of fashion and the ways in which designers re-interpret concepts rooted in Old World ideas. Additionally, she will discuss her unusual involvement in a new fashion film, We’ll Take Manhattan, as well as show highlights from the Academy of Art University Fall ’12 Fashion Show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week.

All Academy of Art University students and faculty are encouraged to attend!

The School of Fashion, along with the School of Industrial Design, participated in the Monterey Bay Aquarium Sea Fashion Challenge, sponsored by SF Gate. Students were asked to create works of art using the Monterey Bay Aquarium  banners from an installation at the Hyatt Hotel this past summer. Each School was asked to create a collection of pieces relevant to their given field.

Simon Ungless’ FSH 604- Fashion Design 3 class, which has a focus on design for environmental and social impact, took on the challenge – and they turned out some beautiful results! Students worked together to design pieces inspired by the beautiful seascapes at the aquarium. Iridescent dresses, ombre coats, and seaweed-like crocheted pieces added to the Under the Sea feeling of the collection.

SF Gate is holding a contest – asking readers which piece is their favorite. So head on over to SF Gate.com and vote for the ensemble that inspires you to take a trip down to Monterey – we know we sure want to!

Students Disscuss, Design, and Create

Follow the jump to see the final looks! Read more…

(Photo Credit: 7×7 Magazine)

Today’s photograph is of our very own Simon Ungless, the Director of the Graduate School of Fashion. He has been named one of the seven best-dressed citizens of San Francisco by 7×7 Magazine. You can read the entire article here. Hope this gives you a little inspiration to dress your best all week long!

More stylish men after the jump! Read more…