The School of Fashion at the Academy of Art University’s annual spring 2015 show during Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week was a mixture of asymmetric, oversized and asylum-chic inspiration.
“This group of designers has gone back to the essence of what the fashion designer should do, focusing on proportion and silhouette development as opposed to decoration,” Simon Ungless, executive director of the School of Fashion, commented.
Twelve chosen designers brought an unusual-yet-stimulating feel to the runway. One would expect floral prints and light fabrics and colors to be delivered, but the designers kept it New York real.
Designers Mia Jianix ji, Wei Bai, Madison Detro, Die Zhou and Szu Chi Hunag presented women’s collections that were filled with dresses, jumpsuits, pants and oversized trenches. Beige, brown, white, black and light blue were the dominating colors on the runway, colors well-suited for a New York spring. As for fabrics, the designers opted for suede, leather, cotton, silk and linen.
Sharing her thoughts, Detro commented, “I am not a color person and you definitely see that in my collection. You will find a lot of architect and oversized pieces that still feel feminine.”
There is no doubt that women’s collections have shifted towards architect with included detail, like knit embroidery and quilted elements.
Taking knitwear away from Grandma, Jianxia Ji remained faithful to her resume, revolutionizing the fabric with evoked shapes inspired by Ana Rajcevic’s art collection, “ANIMAL: The Other Side of Evolution”. The detail of Jianxia Ji’s creations is visible in her knit embroidery. When worn, her dresses are slightly see-through, adding a sexy element to a not-so-sexy fabric.
When it came to Zhou’s nature-inspired garments, which reflected spring more than the other collections, a Chanel feel was present with pastel collage shirt dresses, pants, jackets and t-shirts executed in cotton-blend twill.
Playing with leather and ribbon-woven details, Huang brought Japan to the house. Using origami-folding techniques on leather, Huang attained a three-dimensional armor.
And with her tomboyish, tailored silhouettes that included the femininity of silk, Bai presented one-pieces that gave the illusion of separates.
Mazel tov to the designers who refuse to abide by the rules and keep winter alive in the spring. For more on the Academy of Art University’s Men’s Collection at NYFW, visit FashionMR.com
