09 06 2014 Academy of Art University Newspaper Volume 1

san francisco | academy of art university |

September 2014 volume 1 | page 23

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK MENSWEAR COLLABORATION

Teamwork makes the dream work

By Doreen Du Although collaboration is not unusual between designers showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, this season an unprecedented seven M.F.A. Fashion Design students from Academy of Art University brought together their individual talents and perspectives to create one stunning menswear collection.

Designing a collection can be stressful, often requiring weeks or even months of preparation.

Countless hours of hard work pay off, though, when designers see the fruits of their labor come to fruition in their finished collections. The Spring 2015 menswear design team consists of seven designers: Asiyat Tsalikova, Jihyun Kim, Jingci Wang, Liz Li, Max Lu, Yaqiong Zhou and Yin Yang, who pooled their talents and resources to realize a shared goal— showcasing at MercedesBenz Fashion Week. (For all of the Academy MBFW designer bios, please turn to page 25.)

It is both motivational and fascinating to see collaboration between designers who come from completely diverse occupational and educational backgrounds. How did such a large, varied group work together? The team exchanged ideas and visions and brainstormed to find solutions to problems. While they might clash over some details, the menswear designers have formed a really strong team—made even stronger by their unique a mix of talents and love for their shared art.

MBFW continued on 24

Executive Director of the School of Fashion Simon Ungless discusses design details with Szu Chi Huang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, and Gonbee Tanaka, 3-D Design Coordinator. Photo by Bob Toy.

page 24 | September 2014 volume 1 | academy of art university | san francisco

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK MENSWEAR COLLABORATION

MBFW continued from 23 “To perfectly collaborate with each person, it is important that the other creatives in your team understand the universal vision,” said Liz Li. The designers worked together on all of the menswear designs, and when it came to finding the fabrics for the collection, each member of the team contributed ideas. Inspired by the concept of “imagination traveling,” the collection is a series of beautiful, eye-popping mash-ups, including playful fabric combinations, vibrant color palettes and strong pattern mixing. The aim is to play—not shock—

with possibilities.

“By working together on this menswear collection, we hope to instill in men everywhere a sense of playfulness and friskiness for their wardrobes,” Max Lu explained.

The team used many different resources when forming their designs, including trend forecasting sites, magazines, music culture and vintage shops, and took inspiration from traveling and street wear. After the designs were decided upon, they each went out into San Francisco to source fabric, then came back together to discuss what they’d found and what they might need for a certain piece.

“We really formed a cohesive team and approached this together! At times, it was hard to tell which idea was from whom or how much effort an individual has put in … it was one big melding of ideas,” said Yaqiong Zhou.

Everyone was committed to the final goal, everyone contributed to the team effort, and they all worked tightly together to ensure that the final project was amazing. The team members challenged, but also supported, one another and weren’t afraid to pitch in and do whatever it took to keep things moving along.

“Faith and belief were prerequisites in this collaboration. Knowing when to

speak and when to listen,” said Jingci Wang.

It was important that everyone involved believed in the project, that they were open and that they listened and respected each other’s opinions and skills.

“Teamwork is about support, trust and laughs.

For a team to be successful, everyone in it needs to have individual respect and appreciation for each others’ work. That, and laughs!” said the design team.

“We worked extremely hard, and yet it was so much fun. The collection we produced was great,“ Jihyun Kim continued.

Even when one designer works 24/7 on a collection it

BEHIND THE SCENES

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

can be extremely stressful, and in a different scenario, adding team members to that process might multiply the stress. Not so for the Spring 2015 menswear design team. The key elements to this particular collaboration running smoothly were working as a team instead of individually, playing to team members’ strengths and weakness and clear communication.

This inspiring collaboration highlights the power of teamwork. When it works, it is incredible.

Doreen Du is an M.F.A. Fashion Merchandising student.

san francisco | academy of art university |

September 2014 volume 1 | page 25

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK DESIGNERS

Asiyat Tsalikova

Jihyun Kim

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Asiyat Tsalikova, M.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in Baku, Azerbaijan Republic. Before attending the Academy, she held a B.F.A. degree in Fashion Design from Accademia Italiana, in Florence, Italy. She is not afraid to try something new and crazy or make a mistake, “Because that is how I learn.�

Jihyun Kim, M.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from Seoul, Korea. Once an instructor at Kyungpook National University Sangju Campus for Fashion Design and Fashion Illustration, Kim has valuable experience that has influenced how she thinks about patterns and silhouettes. She looks up to her favorite fashion icon/designer, Rei Kawakubo, to feed her experimental mind inspiration to keep creating innovative designs.

Jingci Wang

Liz Li

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

Photo by Bob Toy.

Jingci Wang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in China. Her design skills have earned her recognition on many different occasions. In 2008, she was named as a finalist in the OKAWA textile competition, and she was also a second-degree scholarship winner in the BOSIDENG Scholarship. Wang is constantly looking for new inspirations and ways to improve her projects by discussing her ideas and fabric selections with instructors and classmates.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Liz Li, M.F.A. Fashion Design, was born in Wenzhou but raised in Shanghai, China. Before pursuing her graduate degree in fashion, Li earned her undergraduate degree in Fashion Design and Engineering, which helps her develop a creative vision for clothing construction.

page 26 | September 2014 volume 1 | academy of art university | san francisco

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK DESIGNERS

Max Lu

Yaqiong Zhou

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

Photo by Bob Toy.

Max Lu, M.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from Taipei, Taiwan, where, before coming to the Academy he completed a B.F.A. in Fashion Design. With a year of experience as a freelance fashion stylist, Lu has a great eye for up-and-coming trends, which he incorporated into his ideas for the collection.

Yaqiong Zhou, M.F.A. Fashion Design, grew up in Hunan, China. Before enrolling at the Academy, Zhou earned her B.F.A. degree in Interior Design, and while working toward her M.F.A., she also held a position as a design assistant at Hunan Palette Garment Co Ltd. She never gives up on her own design style; instead, when people give her other suggestions she finds a way to incorporate them into her own ideas.

Yin Yang

Die Zhou

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Yin Yang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, is from Chongqing, China. Yang earned a bachelor’s degree in Engineering from Shanghai University of Engineering Science before pursuing his graduate degree in fashion. There is no rule when it comes to his style motto—“Just wear what I want and be myself.”

Die Zhou, M.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from Wuhan, China. Zhou holds a bachelor’s degree in Engineering in Gem and Material Technology and before beginning work on her M.F.A., she acted as Executive Editor for Blue Sock Publishing Company in Taiwan. For her Spring 2015 collection, Zhou took her inspiration from nature, translating the lines and shapes associated with butterflies into the silhouettes of her garments.

The collection is focused around a light, fresh pastel color story and is executed in cotton-blend twill.

san francisco | academy of art university |

September 2014 volume 1 | page 27

MERCEDES-BENZ FASHION WEEK DESIGNERS

Mia Jianxia Ji

Madison Detro

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN, KNITWEAR DESIGN

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

Photo by Bob Toy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Mia Jianxia Ji, M.F.A. Fashion and Knitwear Design, grew up in Shangrao in the Jiangxi province of China. Ji’s design skills have earned her recognition on many occasions; in 2010, she won an honorary award in an international design competition held by the International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) and Paris American Academy (PAA), and in 2008, she was a Second Degree scholarship winner in the Creative Sketch Competition held by her B.F.A. alma mater, the Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology. Mia’s collection, which she has named “SILHOUKNIT,” uses the texture of knitted fabrics to evoke the shapes and feelings of Ana Rajcevic’s art collection “Animal - The Other Side Of Evolution.”

Madison Detro, M.F.A. Fashion Design, was born and raised in Los Altos, CA. Before pursuing her graduate degree in fashion, Detro earned her undergraduate degree in Architecture. During her fashion design internship at Yigal Azrouel, she gained experience designing, styling and prepping the Fall 2014 collections. Detro’s Spring 2015 collection is fabricated mostly from lambskin leathers and calf suede and explores geometries and imbalance as a catalyst for beauty. Intrigued by the oddities in Le Corbusier’s architectural work, her designs are reminiscent of the angles found in the architect’s famous chapel Notre Dame du Haut de Ronchamp.

Szu Chi Huang

Wei Bai

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

M.F.A. FASHION DESIGN

Photo by Bob Toy.

Szu Chi Huang, M.F.A. Fashion Design, hails from Taiwan where, before coming to the Academy, she completed her an undergraduate degree in Costume Design. Her background in costumes led Huang to be inspired by traditional Japanese samurai armor. Huang’s collection translates her inspiration into modern fashion by using innovative construction techniques to achieve the three-dimensional feeling of armor that has been compiled from many small pieces.

Huang used origami-folding techniques on leather and wove grosgrain ribbon in mesh fabric to mimic the woven texture of the samurai garments. The simple black and white color palette of her collection is a nod to traditional Japanese ink paintings and calligraphy.

Photo by Bob Toy.

Wei Bai, M.F.A. Fashion Design, grew up in Chongqing, China. Having completed a B.F.A. in Fine Arts and Graphic and Web Design, Bai worked as a graphic designer before undertaking her graduate degree in fashion. Bai’s collection features tomboyish, tailored silhouettes that are evocative of the neo-Edwardian Teddy Boy style that became popular in 1950s England. Garments are constructed in one-piece, although many give the illusion that they are separates.

page 28 | September 2014 volume 1 | academy of art university | san francisco

STYLE INTERNSHIP

My summer internship: Li & Fung

Joseph Khawane. Photo by Bob Toy.

By Newspaper Staff

By Joseph Khawane

Academy of Art University Textile Design student Joseph Khawane spent his summer in New York City doing an internship with Li & Fung. In his own words, Khawane shared everything from a typical workday to what he found to be the most rewarding aspect of his experience.

About Li & Fung

“Li & Fung are a global, multinational and diverse supply chain management company. They have multiple brands that fall under their umbrella. The division that I interned for was Oxford Collections, which is a private label manufacturer. Oxford Collections do a lot of design

Below: Joseph Khawane’s textile designs. Courtesy of Joseph Khawane.

work for Target, who are one of their largest vendors. I was part of their CAD/Print Design team. In my department we would do in-house print development for Target’s Xhilaration, Merona and Ambar, just to name a few.”

Joseph Khawane spent his summer in New York City doing an internship with Li & Fung. Courtesy of Joseph Khawane.

A typical workday

“A typical workday involved checking emails from the overseas CAD team, since Oxford Collections operate around the clock and around the globe. After that, we would look at all the various mood/inspiration boards for each collection. Then we would continue with development by creating and reworking motifs to create new layouts for print concepts.

While there, I was able to do some watercolor painting as well as hand drawing. This was exciting for me since these are two ways in which I work to create my own print designs.”

Biggest challenge: Understanding the workflow of the team

“The biggest challenge that I faced was understanding the workflow of the team.

Working with swatch boards. Courtesy of Joseph Khawane.

My very first day I was given [a] task and was designing right alongside the CAD team, as if I had been there for a while! It took a moment to get used to cataloging each and every single print, even if it doesn’t make it into production. When I started the internship, we were at 3,300 and when the internship was over, we had almost hit 3,700 prints. So needless to say we were moving at a fast pace.

Most rewarding aspect: “They trusted me when it came to design.”

The most rewarding part

of my internship was feeling completely strong in my Photoshop/Illustrator skills.

Another proud moment was [when] some of my print designs were chosen for final consideration, which was super exciting. Next time, I would maybe try not to overthink everything and just trust my design instinct since the team showed that they trusted me when it came to design.

Joseph Khawane is a Textile Design student at Academy of Art University.

san francisco | academy of art university |

September 2014 volume 1 | page 29

STYLE FASHION DESIGN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER

Sam Shan’s inspiring road to the Academy

Sam Shan with his Fall 2014 collection. Photo by Nicolas Ardelean.

By Alison Pierce Sam Shan’s path to the Fashion Design program at Academy of Art University is a little different than most.

His is a story of courage, perseverance and a long road traveled.

Shan grew up in Won Pau Village, a small farming village in the hills of the Shan Province of Eastern Burma, Photo by Chad Jenkins.

now Myanmar. “When I lived there, it did not have electricity or running water. Most people of the village were farmers who took their crops to paddy,” said Shan, whose family grew traditional Asian greens similar to Bok Choy, as well as rice and cabbage.

“It was hard work and hot, but as a boy it was also fun sliding in the mud and playing in it,” he said.

When Shan was 14 years old, fighting broke out between revolutionaries and federal soldiers near his village causing him to flee over the nearby border into Thailand. During the chaos, Shan became separated from his family. “I was on my own and I didn’t know if my family had survived,” said Shan, who still finds the experience painful to talk about.

Pieces from Sam Shan’s Fall 2014 collection. Photos by Nicolas

Ardelean.

He made his way south to Malaysia and for the next five years supported him-

self by working as a cook in a restaurant. In 2010, he emigrated to the U.S. with a United Nations refugee agency, starting out in Salt Lake City, UT then landing in San Francisco, where he truly feels at home. “I am happy to say that, through Facebook, I have been reunited with my family,” Shan said.

Shan’s passion for fashion design sprung from watching his grandmother make shirts and dresses for the people of his village when he was just a small boy. “I used to help her sew. One fond memory that I have is sitting at her feet while she operated her peddle-powered sewing machine,” said Shan, who also learned to cut material and hand-sew and knit sweaters with her. “My dream of becoming a fashion designer grew out of seeing how my grandmother could make beautiful clothes for people and how wearing those clothes had a positive effect on the people who wore them.”

Shan’s formal training began at San Francisco City College, where he recently

Shan continued on 30

page 30 | September 2014 volume 1 | academy of art university | san francisco

STYLE FASHION DESIGN SCHOLARSHIP WINNER Shan continued from 29 completed a three-year certificate in fashion design.

“It was a great experience and I learned a lot,” he said. “I feel that it was an important preparation for continuing my studies at Academy of Art University.”

Through his contemporary women’s fashion designs, Shan tries to add creative details to make his clothes more unique and attractive.

“I like to draw inspiration from historical themes and make them more modern,” said Shan, who took the traditional Scottish kilt worn by men and turned it into a modern and feminine look for the present day woman in his most recent fall/winter collection.

“The beauty of nature is also something I draw influence from,” he said.

“My current spring/summer collection draws upon the renewal of life that we see when flowers bloom in the spring.”

Shan was awarded a scholarship by the Academy based on his senior fashion collection from City College.

“I am very grateful to AAU for giving these scholarships to City College fashion students every year,” he said. “This wonderful and generous gift from AAU’s President, Elisa

Photo by Chad Jenkins.

Stephens, gives students like me a chance to realize my dream. Without this, I would not be able to attend AAU.” Shan’s dream is to develop his own line of clothing.

“I want to explore ways to manipulate fabric to create shapes that demonstrate natural themes, while still

allowing a more flowing construction,” he said. “I like to use natural colors that we see every day and that effect how we feel. I am excited about the opportunity that AAU is giving me to further develop these creative ideas.”

Rebecca Delgado Rottman, Vice President of

Community & Government Relations, said that the Academy is thrilled and is looking forward to welcoming Shan this fall. “I am certain that [his] story of overcoming adversity as a kid and rising like a phoenix will inspire both students and staff,” Rottman said. “[Shan]

will thrive here and will also love it here. [He] will be in an environment that is supportive, creative and nurturing that will help you realize your potential to the fullest.”

Alison Pierce is a Staff Reporter for Academy Art U News.

UPCOMING FASHION COVERAGE

Stay tuned!

Full coverage of the Academy at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NYC coming later this month

Sketches from Wei Bai’s collection. Courtesy of the School of Fashion.

Sketches from Szu Chi Huang’s collection. Courtesy of the School of Fashion.

Sketches from Mia Jianxia Ji’s collection. Courtesy of the School of Fashion.