-Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week- AAU- Academy of Art University -Spring/Summer 2010 Show

Seven recent MFA graduates of the Academy of Art University -Marina Nikolaeva Popska, Kara Sennett, Amanda Cleary, Richelle Valenzuela, Brittney Major, Jie Pan, and Sawanya Jomthepmala showed  their capsule collections Saturday, September 12, 2009 at the Mercedes Benz New York Fashion Week to a standing room only crowd.

Each collection had a different point of view of what suits the modern woman and her life.

Marina's was all about pastel playful pastel jacquard knit dresses with undulating ruffles. Kara Sennett's color blocked separates were body conscious and a petite hommage to Courreges, and yes wearable, very wearable. Her inspiration? Philanthropist Betty Friedman in David Hockney's 1966 painting Beverly Hills Housewife. Amanda Cleary looked to packaging as her inspiration and used box tab and cutout details in her collection. Silver, aqua, gray and black were colors. The dresses swished and flowed as the models walked down the runway. Richelle Valenzuela's collection was inspired by the structure of gem cutting diagrams, and the facets of the gem. Structural, architectural, yet soft, feminine, and visually surprising. It drew "oohs" from the crowd. Brittney Major used "unconvetional preppy" as inspiration for her collection. Plaid dresses and separates in bright taffetas merrily went down the runway. The collection was playful and fun. Jie Pan paired contrasting shapes, and pired fabrics like horesair wirh siklk chiffon and natural linen with organza  for her collection. Her inspiration was the abstract paintings of Anna Fidler. The designs were fluid and visuallly arresting. Sawanya Jomthepmala ended the show with brilliant neon colors-pink, yellow and green-prints, exquisitely done pants and separates.

Would you like to view the show in its entirety? Just click and sit back and watch the show from a front row seat. It as of you're there in the main tent.

Have you been to a fashion show? Do you have a favorite designer? Leave a comment!