In addition to the many, many, many awards and internships that Suzy Menkes announced (pictured above) after a stellar graduation fashion show, some of our special guests gave offered internship opportunities to some of our students. Check out who got offered what by whom in the list (and a snazzy slideshow of the recipients) below:

Menswear designer, Patrik Ervell: Anette Nyseth (BFA Fashion Design) and Melody Bainter (BFA Fashion Design).

Ian Hannula and Joe Haller from Nice Collective: Jackie Nguyen (BFA Technical Design) and Ryan Kuan (MFA Merchandising).

Carol Lim and Humberto Leon from Opening Ceremony: Ronnie O. Nery (BFA Knitwear Design), Young Ae Koo (BFA Knitwear), and Alice Spies (BFA Fashion Design).

Elisa Palomino for Diane von Furstenberg: Amelia Statler (BFA Fashion Design), Stephanie Hoffmann (BFA Knitwear Design), Ghazaleh Khalifeh (BFA Fashion Design), Ivy Fu Man Tam (BFA Fashion Design), Eunice Cheng (BFA Fashion and Textile Design), and Yuzuan Cheng (BFA Fashion Design).

Walter Van Beirendonck: Mariah Groves (BFA Industrial Design).

All photos by Randy Brooke

The Academy of Art University’s fashion week passed in a blur of events, all of which I carefully blocked out on my semi-tacky Anne Taintor calendar. As I reflect on the week over a pot of coffee and spoonfuls of Nutella, I’m starting to realize that it’s the sweet, small moments that count.

The biggest of the “small” moments was participating in a roundtable discussion with Suzy Menkes and 5 of my fellow journalism students on Wednesday morning. Suzy’s engaging verbal command makes it feel like every word she divulges is an intimate secret. One of those secrets was that Madonna has been reading Suzy’s book The Windsor Style in preparation for an upcoming movie role as the Duchess of Windsor. Thank goodness I snatched the out-of-print book from the library before Gladys Perint Palmer shared our “secret” with the rest of the School of Fashion.

The next exciting small moment was being approached by Walter Van Beirendonck at the static show (the show before the big fashion show). I wrote about Walter in my very first published article (in One Eighty) so shaking Walter’s bauble-laden hand was a definite milestone. The only person more excited to shake Walter’s hand was the recipient of an unexpected internship he offered.

Finally, it was time to watch the show, which I got to share with my friend of the last 5 years, graduating designer Emma Erickson (who scored an internship with Hervé Léger.) She guided me through the show with encouraging commentary such as “You’ll like this collection… it’s what you’d buy if you could have whatever you wanted.”

But, for that moment, standing in the nosebleed section of the bleachers and witnessing the camaraderie and pats on the back between this year’s group of close knit graduating designers, I had everything I wanted.

Written by: Kalla Vieaux

Click here For more of ‘The Kalla Chronicles’

Last night at our graduation fashion show, guest of honor, Suzy Menkes presented the recipients for the Sister City Scholarship Exchange in Paris, France:

Studio Berçot
Ronnie Omar Nery, BFA Knitwear Design
Ashon Sylvester, BFA Men’s Wear Design

L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne
Alice Spies, BFA Fashion Design
Rinat Brodach, BFA Fashion Design

Other award and internship recipients included:

Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) 2010 Scholarship Awards
Peter Nguyen, BFA Knitwear Design, recipient of $10,000
Lisa Relth, BFA Fashion Design, recipient of $5,000
Wei-Li Ting, BFA Men’s Wear Design, recipient of $5,000 Clara Hancox Scholarship Award
Pia Jannika Lilja, BFA Knitwear Design, Geoffrey Beene Design Scholarship honorable mention

SURTEX® designext Student Competition
Kenzi Klein, BFA Textile Design

Abercrombie & Fitch
Peter Nyugen, BFA Knitwear Design, recipient of summer internship
Jennifer Chen, MFA Textile Design, recipient of summer internship
Brenna Riley, BFA Fashion Design, recipient of full time position
Ruby Guerra, MFA Textile Design, recipient of full time position

BCBG Max Azria
Emma Erickson, BFA Fashion Design, recipient of summer internship in Hervé Léger division
Ruby Guerra, MFA Textile Design, recipient of summer internship

Chrysler
Wolwold Wen, MFA Textile Design, recipient of summer internship

Stay tuned for more coverage of our graduation fashion show including students who were offered internships from our special guests.

For our yearly Fashion Week, there are three particular events that you should already have in your calendar — if you don’t here they are again. See ya there!

Rebel Fashion Panel Discussion presented by Keanan Duffty, designer and author of Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style
Wednesday, May 5, 2010 @ 3:00 PM
Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street, between Mason and Powell Streets

“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
Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 10 a.m.
Morgan Auditorium, 491 Post Street, between Mason and Powell Streets

Graduation Fashion Show
The School of Fashion will debut collections from graduating students of the Accessory, Knitwear, Menswear, Technical, Textile and Women’s Wear Design.
Thursday, May 6, 2010 at 3 p.m
601 Brannan Street

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.

We all know you have been waiting for it — so here it is; the OFFICIAL guest list for our 2010 Fashion Show! And despite some circulating rumors, John Paul Gaultier is not one of the guests. Don’t get us wrong, we do love him, but who started that rumor?

Nonetheless, here is the list. Drum roll please…

An Academy of Art University Honorary Doctorate will be presented to Suzy Menkes, OBE, Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur, and fashion editor of International Herald Tribune.

Academy of Art University President’s Awards for Excellence will be presented to:
· Julie Chaiken, Bay Area designer and founder of Chaiken Clothing
· Keanan Duffty, designer and author of ‘Rebel Rebel: Anti-Style’ by Rizzoli, 2009
· Patrik Ervell, winner of the 2007 Ecco Domani Award for best men’s wear designer
· Ian Hannula and Joe Haller, Bay Area designers and founders of Nice Collective
· Carol Lim and Humberto Leon, innovative retailers and founders of Opening Ceremony
· Elisa Palomino, women’s wear designer and VP of Design at Diane von Fürstenberg
· Walter Van Beirendonck, men’s wear designer and one of ‘The Antwerp Six’
· Dirk Van Saene, artist, designer and one of ‘The Antwerp Six’

Honored guests will announce internships at the end of the show. Other internships and awards to be announced include Abercrombie & Fitch, BCBG, SURTEX® designext Student Competition, and the Sister City Scholarship Exchange to study abroad in Paris at Studio Berçot and L’Ecole de la Chambre Syndicale de la Couture Parisienne.

That’s quite a guest list, isn’t it? Stay tuned for symposiums and Q&As that you can attend.

In the meantime, check out this snazzy little slideshow of our guests:

Suzy Menkes, fashion editor of the International Herald Tribune and a one-time guest of the school, gave our show a nod of acknowledgment with a write up for the New York Times:

Chris Moore/Karl Prouse

While New York fashion tends toward the dutifully wearable, the San Francisco-based fashion college gave food for thought. How was it possible that clothes from six selected students, with global origins in the United States, Russia and Asia, could seem more inventive and creative than established New York brands?

Now that’s a compliment if I’ve ever heard one.

Read the entire article here.

For more coverage of our show at Fashion Week, click here!

Danny Roberts makes headlines again with his portrait of famed fashion blogger, Bryanboy sitting front row at D&G’s spring/summer 2010 show in Milan alongside Vanity Fair’s Michael Roberts, Vogue’s Sally Singer, Anna Wintour and Hamish Bowles:

Here’s the original pic:

Bryanboy (centr, with computer), sits between, from left, Suzy Menkes of the Herald Tribune, Michael Roberts of Vanity Fair and US Vogue’s Sally Singer, Anna Wintour and Hamish Bowles, at D&G’s spring/summer 2010 show in Milan

Yes, that is friend of the Academy of Art University Suzy Menkes sitting there as well.

Bryanboy is just one of the many fashion bloggers making a name for himself in the industry. Tavi, the 13-year-old fashion prodigy has been making waves in the biz with her blog Style Rookie and Scott Schuman has been doing it for years as The Sartorialist.

And let’s not forget Fashion School Daily – we know how to throw down as well.

Check out the behind-the-scenes video that Danny made for this illustration after the jump… Read more…

On December 3, Gladys Perint Palmer, the Executive Director of the School of Fashion (you should really know that by now) was celebrating the opening of her exhibition at The Mayor Gallery in London. Presented by the Fashion Illustration Gallery (FIG), the exhibition presented a carefully edited group of drawings that featured the July ’09 haute couture shows in Paris. From Rosita Missoni to David Downton to Suzy Menkes, the private viewing last week was full of esteemed names in the industry (including online instructors Richard Elliott and Grace O’Connor).
.

Liz Griffiths (at Missoni, Muriel Pemberton’s niece) Gladys Perint Palmer, exhibition guest, and Rosita Missoni

Stephen Jones (milliner extraordinaire) poses with GPP’s Dior drawing while wearing a hat he made the morning of show of the actual Christian Dior show.

If you happen to be in London, the exhibition will remain open until January 29, 2010. For more pics of the opening night guests, follow the break.

Read more…

The prestigious International Herald Tribune fashion editor, Suzy Menkes attended our show yesterday and – well…here’s what she had to say about our designers…

The polyglot students from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco showed an impressive diversity of style and technique. Standouts included the jacquard knitwear in vivid colors from the Bulgarian-born Marina Nikolaeva Popska; and the mosaic colors and origami effects from the Thai designer Sawanya Jomthepmala.

I like the word, “polygot.” You should try using that word at least one time today.

Marina gets jaunty with her jacquard (Photos courtesy of Getty Images)

Sawanya’s textiles and symmetric origami details were a hit with Menkes

In addition, Hilary Alexander from The Daily Telegraph had similar things to say:

Read more…