In the past three years, our students have felt the impacts of a global pandemic, major elections, war, and an increased digital presence around the world. What you will see in the next few pages celebrates our students’ perseverance, creativity, talent, and imagination.
Throughout history, and particularly in the past several years, we have seen periods of social unrest due to moments of injustice. In Protest, we see how alumna Rashida Birdlong used her knitwear thesis collection to create a channel of reflection and awareness for the Black Lives Matter movement.
In Fashion Gamble with the Metaverse, we examine fashion’s potential to expand into a new virtual reality and how brands–and our students–are exploring this nascent space.
With dedication and drive, alumna Anna Zhou created a brand during the pandemic and has since presented at New York Fashion Week and was a finalist on Project Runway. In Driven , Anna discusses her latest collection and reflects on the evolution of her design process since graduating. The Show Must Go On is a recollection of the 2022 Graduation Fashion
Show, a landmark event that celebrated the talents and skills of our students and graduates from the past three years.
When joining the Academy of Art University community in the Summer of 2022 as Executive Director of the School of Fashion, I was impressed by the many state-of-the-art resources, from knitwear and textile labs to digital design software and interdepartmental collaborations. In Behind The Walls, we are taking you on a tour of the hidden spots of our beloved historic building at 625 Polk St, which houses the School of Fashion.
Beyond the innovative equipment students have access to, those who choose to study at our university can discover the California lifestyle, exploring at their doorstep rich environments from sandy beaches to dense forests, snowy mountains to busy city streets. Even more so, students have the opportunity to immerse themselves in the deep cultural and social roots of California and San Francisco.
The following pages are dedicated to our students, who, in the face of adversity, continued to make art and celebrate the beauty of life.
Sincerely,
Neil Gilks Executive Director, School of Fashion May 2023
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, CLOTHING HAS BEEN USED AS not just a fashion statement but also a political manifesto. In times since the Civil Rights Movement and through the gallant efforts of designers like Ruby Bailey, Jay Jaxon, and Stephen Burrows, more and more doors are opening to Black and Brown designers across the world. Now, they can showcase what luxury and style look like to them, this time on their terms.
In 2020, major protests and unrest sparked a worldwide awakening following incidents of police brutality and racially motivated violence against Black people. Within the fashion industry, organizations and leaders sought to change areas of inequality and underrepresentation. In the same year, the non-profit organization Creatives Want Change was founded in order to support young Black creatives. Since their launch, Academy of Art University has partnered with Creatives Want Change to provide opportunities for Black high school students to attend Pre-College Summer Programs in Fashion Design.
Many prominent figures have taken to forging a path for Black representation within the fashion industry. Did they enter the industry with the intent to become leaders for change? Maybe not, but designers like the Academy’s very own Rashida Birdlong continue to pave the way.
A native of Berkeley, California, Rashida Birdlong has shared a love of design since her childhood years.
words BY savannah blunt MA FASHION JOURNALISM MORTONShe credits her grandmother for teaching her how to sew and crochet but admits that she rediscovered her passion for it after enrolling into the fashion program here at the School of Fashion. Her readyto-wear senior collection, Poetic Justice, is an ode to the complex intricacies of what it means to be a Black woman in America.
Amidst the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor in 2020, Birdlong has examined what it means to just be in this society, as well as the unjust price that is too often paid because of it. Her knitwear collection is comprised of outerwear decorated with broken chains, caftans donning “Black Power” symbolism, and motifs of somber imagery. Neutral earth tones are interrupted by accents of bright red throughout her designs. Each look is a subtle representation of Black bodies and the blood that has been shed in times of injustice.
“My concept was to create a garment that makes a statement like the powerful mantras on protest signs,” Birdlong shares. Birdlong focused on incorporating natural yarns like merino wool and cashmere and used Intarsia knitting to create the poignant imagery found throughout her collection.
Through this collection, Birdlong has gained a newfound patience and a deeper love of the crafts that she will continue to exercise while advocating for the people in her community.
Models: Alecia Hager, Stars Model Management, and Amani at 3M Management
Makeup & Hair Styling: Elena Martinez
Assistant Stylists: Nic Swart and Erin LaValle, MA Fashion Art Direction
Puffy scarf by Wenjie Lin, BFA Fashion Design.
WE’VE ALL HEARD THE STORY. A BEAUTIFUL GIRL trapped to serve her mean step-sisters, dreaming of a night at the palace. A wish upon a star and a bibbidibobbidi-boo later, and the transformation of Cinderella is complete. On-screen, this requires nothing more than a few movements of a magical wand. Although in real life, the transformation from rags to ball gown looks a bit different. Right now, the African-American Shakespeare Company puts forth its annual show of Cinderella, and the transformative moment is thanks
By Lo Olbin, BA Fashion Journalismto non-other than two students of the Academy. Alina Bokovikova, Costume Design program coordinator, recruited students Patric Wang and Xinyi Zhang to take on this project of collaboration, design, and construction to take the magic seen on screen and transform it into a 3D experience at the theatre. For the audience, the moment on stage that lasts no longer than a few seconds leaves them astonished but nonetheless unaware of the ongoing craftsmanship behind the scenes. The fantastic transformation
occurs when the actress pulls two strings attached to the sides of the dress. Pulling these release the rolledup overlay that has been hidden until this point of the performance. Within one single twirl, the actress reveals the beautiful creation and whips off her headwrap, revealing the hidden tiara.
Costume design differs from fashion design with a few main components. It boils down to the difference in their clientele. “For costume, you design for a character. You design for their personality, background, and era,” says Xinyi Zhang, who was responsible for the design and decorations of the dress. The clothing worn by the performers acts as an extension of the character. Just as much as the actor would vocalize the story, the clothing must reflect and highlight the storyline. For this production, which the African-American Shakespeare Company set up, the costume design was influenced by African culture.
“For traditional Cinderella, the hat piece would be a handkerchief, but considering we’re highlighting African-American culture, we used a headwrap, which is more traditional for that culture,” says Alina Bokovikova, who coordinated the collaboration. Another aspect that costume designers need to face is the collaborative challenges that can arise. Although Xinyi and Patric designed the transformational dress for one person, the character of Cinderella is designed for hundreds. The director’s design approval was a vital component for the smoothness of the play. “I want to be very respectful and ensure the dress represents her idea.” Patric Wang comments regarding the topic.
For the African-American Shakespeare Company, this specific production of Cinderella is monumental, considering it’s the first time a 3D experience of the transformation is brought to the stage. “Before they’ve been doing it the old way, Cinderella goes backstage and changes into a pretty dress, coming back with a new look. This year is the first time Cinderella does it
Broadway style, like 21st century magic on stage.” Says Alina. This pivotal moment also highlights that the fairy godmother is a title reserved for several people behind the curtains. In the beginning stages of this collaboration, Patric and Xinyi needed to work closely with both actors and directors to ensure there was no room for error when the clock struck showtime. “During technical rehearsals, our students were coming over and helping train the people working in the theater.” Alina comments.
The rehearsals were also a test of the garments in question. With costume design, mass production is not a common way of producing clothes. Instead, each garment is customized to the specific actor who will wear it multiple times on stage. “The costume must be used every show, so we have to make it very comfortable for the performer. It has to be very practical, and when the transformation happens, it has to go smoothly”, says Patric. This dress’s technicality required multiple people’s assistance to perform correctly. Alina highlights this by adding, “the benefits of the Academy students are that they are trained in design and construction, and so they’re capable of doing it all. That’s why I believe that our students are an excellent choice for those theaters”.
Through costume design, the designer brings the character alive; in a way, it’s a show within itself, and many designers develop a personal connection to the character and story. The collaboration of Cinderella is the first time Academy students assisted the theatre. “My goal is to continue talking to the theatre about inviting our students to design their shows,” says Alina. In the future, there will hopefully be more individuals eager to show their skills and immerse themselves in the world of theatre.
And even though costume design might take a bit more than a magical spell, the reward of seeing the final creation in the spotlight is as good as it gets.
A red creature with pointed ears and horns wears a crystalized hoodie with a giant key frozen in the middle. A cartoon ape dons heart-shaped sunglasses and a transparent grey jacket composed of 50% celestial object, 50% 3D-printed latex with the ability to m anipulate time. What do these beings have in common? They are both avatars in the metaverse, wearing items from Adidas’s first-ever digital apparel collection. Welcome to the metaverse, an augmented reality where your reality can be anything you desire, and self-expression can flourish and bloom. But does it have a permanent place in fashion?
Launched in November 2022, this Adidas collection is available on the NFT marketplace OpenSea. Owners of Adidas Virtual Gear are able to style their Bored Ape Yacht Club, Mutant Ape Yacht Club, WAGMI United and Inhabitants (MetaHero) NFT profile pictures (PFPs).
Much like Adidas, luxury fashion brands are cashing into the metaverse, hoping to come out on top as curiosity and interest in digital fashion continue to climb. In June 2022, big name brands Balenciaga,
Prada, and Thom Browne partnered with Meta as they launched a digital fashion store place where people can buy clothing for their avatars to wear on Instagram, Facebook and Messenger. Meta, which is focused on building out a centralized metaverse experience, said that the creation of high-end clothing items for its avatars will allow users to better express themselves and connect with others.
During last fall’s New York Fashion Week, we saw top designers like Ralph Lauren participate in their own livestream. Crowds gathered on-site as rain created an undesirable environment. In contrast, others stayed dry watching the show through a virtual New York City runway in Roblox featuring digital versions of the new collection. Earlier in 2022, Ralph Lauren created the city experience, allowing virtual visitors to bike ride through Brooklyn or soar over Manhattan wearing a wingsuit. Avatars could purchase Ralph Lauren’s latest collections and strut them through the virtual world before anyone in real life could get their hands on the pieces.
More and more fashion brands are partnering with platforms that connect them to the metaverse, like Otherside, The Sandbox, Roblox, Meta, and more. The metaverse encourages users to invest in their avatars and the digital world by purchasing clothing to enhance their personality and self-expression with pure freedom.
Gen Z have quickly become the most fashionforward users within the metaverse worlds, providing fashion brands the opportunity to build consumer knowledge and brand loyalty at a younger age. Fashion is about self-expression, and the opportunities to do so through digital fashion have opened up a new norm of what their ideal self can look like. The appeal to purchasing apparel through the digital space allows users to try brands they might not have access to, purchase exclusive digital drops, and try looks they may not feel comfortable wearing offline. There is a sense of freedom without judgment. Users can now benefit from the multitude of new layering options that Roblox just rolled out, allowing them to create custom looks for their avatars and wear multiple brands at once.
This, too, broadens the horizon and creative opportunities for designers in the digital space to create more pieces, and without material waste. Replacing physical clothing samples with digital renderings during the design phase could lessen the carbon footprint. The Norwegian-based digital-only fashion house, Fabricant, believes strongly in reducing the environmental impact physical fashion has today. Their fashion house works directly with designers to reduce their carbon footprint by 30% during the design and development stages if they use digital samples instead of physical ones. Metaverse fashion also allows users to try on outfits on their avatars before buying them to see their look and fit, and the designer doesn’t have to waste funds or materials with collections that aren’t a crowd favorite. A win-win for all.
Due to the decentralized nature of Web 3, exclusivity is just as real in the metaverse as it is in the luxury retail world. Luxury brands are utilizing NFTs as a way to translate the “flex” of owning say, an Hermès Birkin bag, to the digital world. For people who spend more time online, owning NFTs allows for more opportunity to show them off in the same way people are keen to in the world of physical fashion. Bought and sold with various types of cryptocurrencies,
prices for these virtual garments can range from $40 (Adidas Virtual Gear) to upwards of $150,000 (Bored Ape), with prices changing daily due to the volatility of the crypto market. NFTs also utilize smart contracts, a tool that assigns ownership and reassigns it when transferred or sold. Smart contracts ensure that NFTs cannot be divided and that the digital assets are one of a kind and non-replicable.
The metaverse is opening the doors for fashion brands, up-and-coming designers, and new design students to shift into a new realm, digital design, which is transforming the field of fashion and pushing the boundaries of what opportunities lie ahead. As consumer desires increase for new avatars and a wardrobe of digital clothing, web3 designers are becoming a wanted commodity. Luxury fashion houses, such as Gucci, have hired Directors of Digital Fashion to manage the push for virtual fashion and explore where brands can make an impact and stay ahead of the trend.
For a digital design student at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, Catherine Rodriguez couldn’t feel more aligned with the direction fashion is taking. What stemmed from curiosity bloomed into a career path she didn’t know existed. Catherine has kick-started her career through the opportunities the metaverse provides. She currently works freelance designing avatars for virtual worlds and brand clothing for the digital space. Acting on her curiosity, she began attending Clubhouse group chats and discovered Fabricant’s Twitch stream, which opens conversations and collaborations with other digital fashion enthusiasts. Catherine was selected to be a part of Fabricants Season 0, which allowed the first 50 people access to their studio for design. The new crypto digital fashion house, Red DAO, then purchased her digital clothing and accessory designs. When asked about the future of fashion in this newly defined digital space, Catherine Rodriquez shares, “Every fashion house will have a digital fashion designer. It’s just the development of different tools to have the ability to do more than the physical constraints we currently have. People are putting chips into garments with AR-compatible filters. So you can have this regular garment that comes to life when the filter is activated! Yes, right now, AR is constrained to our phones, but Apple and many other giants are developing and set to release AR Glasses,
The garments shown in this story, designed by Catherine Rodriguez, include garments created while she was a part of Fabricants Season 0 as well as some personal exploration in AI assisted design.
and other companies are developing AR contact lenses. So, we are really just at the infancy of this digital fashion evolution.”
Catherine spends her days jumping around the different digital metaverse spaces, making friends, picking up clients, attending parties, and discovering new design ideas from the lack of diversity she is seeing within the virtual worlds. The visions Catherine sees in her head aren’t being designed and developed, which gives her the opportunity to take her creativity to the next level.
Luxury brands were late to the social media game early on, and they now are banking on steering the helm into the next generation of social involvement, the metaverse. McKinsey reported that Gen Z will spend an average of five hours a day over the next five years in the metaverse worlds. It is developing into a place to socialize, not just play a game. When mass adoption of the metaverse does happen, each user will need a digital avatar to play, work, and live in the metaverse. The appearance of these digital avatars will become the core of online identities and the primary way for people to see each other in the metaverse. The shift for consumer purchasing power will lay heavy in the e-commerce platforms the metaverse continues to build out and customize. As the younger generation grows up spending more time in digital spaces, their knowledge and appreciation of brands will develop at an earlier age.
Digital clothing allows designers to create pieces that defy physics and truly turn dreams into reality. Even non-fashion companies like Meta have begun hiring Digital Fashion Designers and high-end fashion brands like Tribute Brand and The Fabricant Studio are solely dedicated to virtual garments. With exploration into the metaverse and its potential just beginning, the opportunities for fashion become endless.
by Kailyn Chadwick
MA Fashion Journalism & MA Fashion Art Direction
Collection by Anna Zhou, BFA Fashion Design Styling by Cameron Huynh, BFA Fashion Styling Photography by Heaven Zhang, BFA PhotographyOftentimes in our culture and society today, everything is so instantaneous, and everyone is eager for the finished, final product. However, I was pleasantly surprised when I sat down with BFA Fashion Design graduate Anna Zhou.
Anna graduated from the fashion design program in 2019. With the excitement of the unknown of post-grad life, she moved to New York City, taking on internships at brands like Marchesa. In March 2020, the unknown became less exciting as the pandemic impacted the globe. Despite the consequences, Anna saw an opportunity. Anna took this time to develop her own brand, beginning with her senior thesis collection, shown at the Graduation Fashion Show in 2019. With her collection as a base, Anna utilized her precise technical skills to create ORAZ, short for “Original Anna Zhou,” a reminder for her to be creative, original, and authentic in her design. Using the brand’s philosophy, original stories and messages are embodied within her designs and collections, a practice she began with the work she created during her time at the School of Fashion.
Just year after launching ORAZ, Anna was selected to participate in season 19 of the design competition Project Runway. Although she did not win, Anna made it to the tenth round and was a season favorite. She will be competing in the upcoming all-star season of the show, which is set to premiere this summer, and in February 2023, she showed her Fall Winter 2023 collection during NYFW.
In our conversation, Anna and I discussed her most recent collection, time spent on the program Project Runway, and how becoming a parent has affected her design process.
Kailyn Chadwick: Okay, the first thing I’d like to chat about is your most recent collection, “Dark Romantic.”
Anna Zhou: Ah, yes, Dark Romantic. It’s my personal aesthetic, elements such as cool, feminine, dark, romantic, and avant-garde. These three are my aesthetic. It’s been a long process because I started this project before I was pregnant. In between, I had a baby, and he’s a month old right now. So, it’s
been a long time, and I have to go all the way back to the beginning.
KC: Yes, take me back to the beginning.
AZ: I started this collection after Project Runway, season nineteen. And during the whole experience, I discovered my personal story even more so than before, and I wanted to use this chance to build a collection to emphasize and speak to my voice. So, I made a collection that was specifically as “dark romantic” instead of [a collection] about “everything.” It has elements that are between modern and classic, mid-century and also a very cool, edgy, Madonna kind of thing. Between these inspirations, I found a balance for my collection.
Anna explains how her collection was inspired from one of the looks she did for Project Runway. A look she calls “Hauntingly Chic” was the jumping point that launched her idea for the Dark Romantic collection. The full-length tacked sheer ruffle dress, complete with a veil that she designed for a Project Runway challenge, became the inspiration for her most recent collection. Surprisingly, another challenge centered around streetwear gave way to more inspiration for her hauntingly chic collection.
AZ: It was the challenge for the streetwear look. However, I did something very innovative because I had no idea what the current stereotype of streetwear was; I didn’t have that sense. So, I did my own type of streetwear completely on my own.
KC: Because you had no outside perspective, it came purely from your own mind and interpretation of streetwear.
my brand after school, at that time it was only one year, so I wanted to use that chance to use my voice and say my aesthetic.
AZ: Yeah, and I’m definitely not a streetwear person. I don’t believe it has to be one stereotype or the other. Streetwear can be anything. I created one, and my title was “Freewear,” and I wanted to see more of that look on the street in the future. So, a few elements that I spotted from that challenge became a part of my collection.
Turns out, which I had no idea about, while filming for Project Runway, there are long periods of time where you have no contact with the outside world. Anna tells me that for at least two weeks after she first started filming, she couldn’t contact family or friends. She also explained that they’re not allowed to seek any outside inspiration or fashion research for their challenges. No cell phones or laptops were allowed to be used while filming, prompting the designers to solely use their minds and creative abilities to design for their challenges. Anna credits this tactic and experience to finding her true aesthetic, manifested as the Dark Romantic collection. After only a year after graduating from Academy of Art University, Anna began to build her brand and she wanted to use Project Runway to communicate her own voice and personal aesthetic.
AZ: I thought it was very important to have a collection that was just for me. People kept asking me what my aesthetic was, and it was like, “I don’t know yet!” I started to build
KC: Now, it’s amazing you’ve been on the show twice! Season 19 and Season 20, where they bring back designers for an “All Stars” season. What is the filming process like, and how does it affect the pressure of designing and working?
AZ: Okay, so we had to do morning and nighttime “reality.” Which is how you wake up, get off the bed and it’s all on camera. You basically don’t have your own schedule, it must follow the production schedule, for seven days a week. No break. From the morning, usually until midnight, and it’s very intense. I will just say it’s not an easy job to accomplish. Some people would quit, and they would be traumatized, and in the meantime, we still have to do the competition.
Anna explains that before the show, she treated design as more of an art form. While she considers herself an artist, after filming seasons 19 and 20 of Project Runway (the latter will premiere this summer), now her attention is more focused on her audience. Answering the viewer or consumer’s questions regarding her creation process or event, the concept of her work had gained more importance compared to before participating in the show. At this point in our talk, I’m already noticing a pattern of before and after. Now, we move on to another one: design before Anna gave birth to her son and after. I asked Anna if becoming a mother
had changed her approach to fashion, and she almost immediately answered with excitement in her voice and a light in her eyes.
AZ: I started to use a lot of color. I’m still chilling when I’m saying this because I feel like, you know- have you watched the show Wednesday? They said Wednesday is allergic to color; I was allergic to color too. Okay? I was that person, but I wasn’t aware. There was a period when I was allergic to color. [Laughs]. I was really dark in my mind, so there was this moment when I had a lot of life experiences, a traumatizing period, and I was very dark. And I can see my work through my emotions, so I think the pregnancy process changed my perspective and my life completely.
KC: It’s so insane how such a tiny human can impact every part of your life and blend into your whole creative process like that. Literally, making you see in color. No longer allergic or “color blind.” [Laughs]
AZ: Even my personality was very “black and white” before versus after, and now I feel like I want to enjoy my life every second. I see the world in color compared to before. I started to add red and pink, and I like to play with elements from my boy, such as his bear hat, his pacifier or even his safety belt from his stroller. I never thought I would get inspired by baby stuff. Especially the perspective on things I have now being a mom and my respect for women. I really discovered I want to keep doing womenswear and help women feel empowered.
KC: That’s amazing…really. So beautiful. It’s comforting to me to know that it’s possible to maintain that part of you, that it is you in addition to becoming a mother. That scares me a lot as I get older. Can you describe to me your creative process a bit more?
AZ: When you are the creator of that little one, and you are protecting his whole life, you have that authority, that power and responsibility, you will just feel empowered. You really, really feel fearless. Now I enjoy my creative process even more because I think I’m able to do something unusual which is transforming my emotions into a tangible piece. I never really get inspired or copy something else like the shape or color from a reference picture. I’ve never done that. I was able to really print my emotion out of myself and onto paper to make it a tangible fashion piece.
KC: Well, that definitely speaks to what you said earlier about seeing yourself as an artist because isn’t that what all art is? It’s emotion transformed into something you can see, feel or touch and, in this case actually wear.
AZ: Yes, I say one day, when I’m not doing fashion, I would be a performance artist [laughs].
It’s no surprise that Anna is so familiar with terms like an artist or even so aware of her emotions. In China, she was educated in the arts and her father is a successful artist himself in painting, sculpture and as of late, calligraphy. Being born
in 1988, Anna tells me there wasn’t a platform or exposition of fashion or graphic design, so when she came to the Academy, she was shown what fashion is to the outside world and credits the school for inspiring her to love fashion.
KC: When did you move to San Francisco? Did you come straight to the Academy from China?
AZ: Yes, I was 24, and now I’m 34. Oh my God, yes okay [laughs].
KC: Do you have any instructors or mentors that inspired or guided you?
AZ: Of course. Gary! Yes, Gary. And we’ve even become friends now. He’s such a good person, and I was so lucky that I was in his design concept class when I was in my sophomore year. The first year was more about illustration and drawing and being introduced to what fashion design is. And I had no skills. You have to have the skills and knowledge to do the process, and I had none. Gary opened the design concepts class, and it helped me to change my approach and perspective on design. It’s helped me even since then.
KC: What was it that helped you so much?
AZ: Pretty much giving us a project in every class. Say I take your face mask, then I would have to manipulate it and create a collection. Taking everyday objects and manipulating them. Gary is always very encouraging, inspiring, and patient, patient, patient–unless
you don’t do homework, unless you’re late. [Laughs]. So that’s why I say I was lucky to have that class. My homework was always finished a week before, and that way I got more feedback. I think he also listened to every student and understood their capability and who they are as a student.
Before we parted, I asked her where she sees herself professionally in the next five to ten years. She tells me she wants to have a commercial brand and turn her art into a more commercialized brand. I jokingly asked if we expect to see color and she answers with a laugh but ensures me that black will be the main attraction. Anna also hopes to be on the Met Ball red carpet and that led me to my final question: who would you want to wear your designs on the Met Ball carpet?
Without hesitation, Anna simply responds with, “Rihanna!” Duh, why’d I even ask?
Model: Maya, Scout Model Agency Make-up & Hair: Sarah Dean
By Kailyn Chadwick, MA Fashion Journalism + Art Direction.
Photography by Danielle Rueda.
There is something special to be said about the students of the Academy of Art University. Not only is the student body dedicated to pursuing their own individual talents in the creative field, but they are persistent in their mission to deliver unique works of art to inspire industry professionals and their peers. There’s no better way for our design students to share their creations than at our Academy of Art Graduation Fashion Show. Held on May 12th, this year’s showcase was particularly sentimental because it was the university’s first in three years due to Covid-19 setbacks. For almost three years, students had to channel their creativity in ways they may not have ever anticipated before due to classes being solely online because of the pandemic. Finally, design graduates from the last two years showcased their work to a crowd eager to appreciate it. All of the designers felt the impact of the pandemic on their work, in addition to the world at large. Many of the collections were constructed with limited access to materials and tools. Some designers, including Domingo Cholula, Sadarryle Stephens, and Gabriella Weinkauf completed their work from afar as online students and communicated with instructors for fittings and feedback solely digitally. Several students were invited to come back and show their collections after graduating a year prior, not having had the opportunity to show their collections in a fashion show format when gathering people was not allowed. The fashion show allowed them closure, gaining a sense of reward and accomplishment by sharing their collection on a stage with their peers, faculty, friends, family, and guests, like all the fashion design graduates before them.
The show was held at Saint Brigid Church, located on Van Ness Avenue
in the heart of San Francisco. Saint Brigid’s is a landmark in the San Francisco community and has survived both the 1906 and 1989 earthquakes that devastated the city. Just like Saint Brigid’s, our school is a survivor.
Upon arrival, guests were lined up down the block, waiting to present their tickets for entry. Inside the venue, one couldn’t deny the energy. In a word, it was palpable. As guests found their seats among the dark-stained wooden pews, students and faculty mingled with one another, many meeting for the first time in person in over two years. It was a beautiful night, and everyone took the opportunity to showcase their own personal style, reminding us all that this was, for many, their first proper night out since Covid and not to let it go to waste. Seeing people embrace, laugh, and catch up only solidified how special this event was. It was easy to get caught up in the reunion, but our attention was drawn back when our university president, Dr. Elisa Stephens, approached the podium to welcome the audience. President Stephens perfectly summed up how we all feel about each of the three graduating classes this year by saying, “These collections represent the talent, ingenuity, and perseverance of our students who press forward and accomplish their dreams.” President Stephens then proceeded to present the designer, illustrator, and the show’s guest of honor, Giles Deacon, with his honorary doctorate for his achievements and accolades in the fashion industry.
Giles Deacon has designed costumes for the New York City Ballet, Marvel, Lionsgate Films, and Fox Searchlight Productions. He has also received international recognition for his designs and illustrations in publications such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar.
Throughout the venue, the energy was undeniable. Looking around at the stained glass that adorns the dome above our honoree and president and seeing the angels stained in pastel hues, it felt like a heavenly event. All introductions and honors aside, it was time for the show to begin. Everyone was anxiously awaiting to see what our design students had been working on in 3D design, pattern making, textile design, and knitwear. A brief pause, muddled chatter among guests, then flickering lights, and then the first model makes her entrance to the live haunting synth and choir music performed by the Tyler Graves Band. The collections were each a reflection of the designers themselves, a balanced showcase of both their inspirations and technical skills. Moving on throughout the show, the diversity of design and the designers’ ability to tell a story through their work were constantly present. Each look incorporated a unique use of materials, colors, and silhouettes, from Domingo Cholula’s gothic-feminine dresses and capes paired with leather collars and belts to the metallic circular orb installation skirt and top from Keer Ivy Chen that closed out the show.
Designers sought inspiration from unique places, exploring aspects from throughout history and their own lives, social movements, and more abstract concepts. Yachen Xie’s thesis collection is inspired by the Art Deco movement, utilizing geometric forms and woven fabrics to create structure and capture the spirit of the 1920s. Meanwhile, Wangyujing Zhang’s collection is a modernized fusion of two different inspirations—traditional Chinese Tang suits and 18th-century French Rococo oil paintings. Daniel Kim reinterprets the minimalism and elegance of Paris in the 1950s throughout his collection.
Motivated by the historic sinking of the Titanic in 1912, Jaclyn Shahan’s collection blends Western trends of the 1910s with organic modern silhouettes and lace.
Allyn Mae Fox found inspiration while observing passengers sitting on BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) trains, waiting for their stops. It reminded her of time spent in quarantine, with everyone’s lives put on pause. To develop her looks, Fox used the design software CLO3D to translate her designs from 2D to 3D, allowing her to create her patterns and toiles with less waste. In comparison, Kathy Deng’s thesis collection was influenced by the intensity that comes with living in a fast-paced city like urban San Francisco. Seeking solace from the pressures of city living, Deng looks toward the eaves of tree houses as an environment for protection and comfort.
Images of the aftermath of different earthquakes—fallen cable poles, damaged houses, cracked streets—were top of mind as Tianyu Candice Ji developed her silhouettes. With Converse sneakers in mind, Yeonsun Sunny Ju utilized canvas, bull denim, grommets, and laces to create a similar feel to the classic shoes.
Margery Wang’s senior thesis collection comes from a picture she took of a butterfly caught in a spider’s web, which was both
“sad and beautiful.” The materials Wang used give a delicate and flowy feel to the pieces.
When the final looks returned backstage, it was time for the designers to take their turn soaking in all of the well-deserved praise.
Twenty-nine BFA and MA Fashion designer graduates, cheerful and excited, made their rounds down the center of the church.
The energy the guests had at the beginning of the Graduation Show was only amplified by the conclusion of it. After waves of applause and cheering from the crowd, there was lots of chatter. There were also tears from proud faculty, parents, and friends.
Selfies were taken, numbers exchanged, and Instagram follows were all taking place as we slowly began to exit the church. We flooded onto Van Ness Avenue and continued socializing and rejoicing all around the venue while some said goodbyes, others said ‘see you later,’ and many deciding where to grab dinner or a drink to continue the good feeling.
Despite the challenges that have arisen over the last few years, there’s nothing to stop this student body and its faculty from creating and celebrating artistry. There was no better way to commemorate those accomplishments than the 2022 Graduation Fashion Show.
PHOTOGRAPHY: JEN MIYAKO MCGOWAN, BFA PHOTOGRAPHY
ART DIRECTION & STYLING: FLORE MORTON
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left: Vest by Bo Zhang, BFA Fashion Design.
Models: Arieh, Look Model Agency, and Amani, 3M Management Make-up & Hair Styling: Elena Martinez and Victor Cembellin Assistant Stylists: Zin Zin Ye Mint, BFA Fashion Styling, Rosalie Gesta and Marion Tranchida
Production & Art Direction - Flore Morton Styling - Quinn Lyons, BFA Fashion Styling
Knit top by Isabella Bowman, BFA Knitwear Design.
Clean lines and an appreciation for design connect past and present through separate collections by Domingo Cholula and Milijana Delic. Cholula’s silhouettes, reminiscent of 17th-century Dutch paintings, and Delic’s blending of the automotive industry’s technological advances with contemporary fashion come together in empowering styles that blur the lines between historical eras and innovative art inspirations.
collections from Domingo Cholula, BFA Fashion Design & Milijana Delic, MFA Fashion Design
photography by Jeffry Raposas, BFA Photography art direction & styling by Flore Morton
Dress by Milijana Delic, MFA Fashion Design.
Model:
Nicole, Stars Model Management
Make-up & Hair Styling: Alexandra Iriarte
Assistant Stylists: Nikita Jacob and Annet Katan, MA Fashion Art Diretion, and Aziza Valdez, BFA Fashion Styling
ALLYN FOX, BFA FASHION DESIGN
STYLING & COL LECITON
JAKE HERBIG & CARTER BABWAH, BFA MOTION PICTURES & TELEVISION PHOTOG
Models: Sydney Regan & Lily Rose Bolt
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