Standout Looks from the Pratt Student Fashion Show
Thom Browne wasn’t the only award winner at last night‘s Pratt Institute Fashion show.
Pratt Institute
Friday April 26th, 2013
Thom Browne on Dressing Michelle Obama, Being a ‘Conceptual’ Designer
When Hamish Bowles presented Thom Browne with the Pratt Fashion Visionary Award at last night’s Pratt Institute Fashion Show, he brought up Michelle Obama’s choice of a Thom Browne coat on Inauguration day, calling it a “life-changing event” for the designer. Browne wouldn’t disagree with that sentiment.
Sunday May 6th, 2012
Fashionista Week in Review: Vogue‘s Model Behavior, the 25 Most Influential Women Designers and Kate Upton Gets More Famous
One Small Step for Vogue: One giant step for fashion-kind. All 19 editions of Vogue announced this week they will no longer work with unhealthy-looking models or girls under 16.
Linda’s Child Support Demands: Making her “$10,000 to get out of bed” claims look downright tame, Linda Evangelista is asking for $46,000 a month in child support (that’s $552,000 a year). Unsurprisingly, the court battle is getting a little dirty.
Rules to Retail By: An anonymous ex-retail employee lays down the law when it comes to shopping. Learn it. Live it. Love it.
Tom Ford’s Naughty Lookbook: In typical Tom Ford style, his spring 2012 menswear lookbook features nudity and ass pinching.
Friday April 27th, 2012
Is Project Runway Bad for the Fashion Industry? Calvin Klein, Fern Mallis and More Weigh In
Former Project Runway contestants always seem to try to distance themselves from the show after they go out into the world on their own. Christian Siriano has been dealing with Project Runway demons for years, and Rami Kashou, who was on the show twice (and most recently ousted on the Project Runway All-Stars season) told us: “But it’s a game show, it’s nothing more to me. It’s produced.” And according to fashion industry insiders, if you want a career as a fashion designer, you’d best distance yourself from reality TV fashion, too.
Sunday October 24th, 2010
Tommy Hilfiger Honored at Pratt Legends Gala, Tells Aspiring Designers to “Never Give Up”
Pratt Institute’s Board of Trustees conceived the Legends Awards in 1999 to honor icons within the worlds of art and design, whose accomplishments and values resonate with those of the school. The event is also a scholarship benefit for Pratt students, 80% of whom require financial aid to pursue their educations. Marc Jacobs, Julian Schnabel, Takashi Murakami and Bruce Weber are among past recipients.
In the 25th year of his brand, Tommy Hilfiger was one of the night’s honorees. He told us the best part of the night was reuniting with friends and supporters who believed in him since the very beginning, including his original backer Mohan Murjani, and George Lois, who created his first advertising campaign. “It’s kind of a fun, special night because I have a great group of people with me. It’s all about the people you surround yourself with.”
The night culminated in a performance by Johnny Cash’s daughter Rosanne Cash. Music has played a major part in Tommy’s branding lately. The Strokes performed at the designer’s fashion week bash and he recently launched a music-themed fragrance and and accompanying digital radio station called LOUD, on which he collaborated with the Ting Tings, who will headline a LOUD European tour.
Wednesday September 15th, 2010
The Twentyten Is Insane, In The Best Possible Way
I’ve seen a lot of shows this week, mostly established designers with a known aesthetic. I’m always excited to see what they produce, but that element of surprise isn’t always there. The Twentyten is a relatively new label, but I suspect name recognition won’t be a problem for them much longer.
Jeff Dodd, David J. Krause, and Nina Zilka are the designers behind the label, and they all met as students in the Pratt Institute’s fashion design program. The name is a reference to their graduation year. This is their fourth collection together, and their first as members of the Pratt Design Incubator for Sustainable Innovation.
The Incubator’s mission is to “link sustainability to enterprise.” The Twentyten designers are the first fashion designers to be members (the Incubator is for all design disciplines.) They don’t get financial support, but they get invaluable services such as assistance with business plans and exhibition space, like the open sunny loft overlooking the Hudson where they displayed their wares. The designers make everything locally in NY’s Garment Center, and several of their pieces are made from scrap leather and organic bamboo.
When I read the inspiration for the collection, I was slightly worried that this was going to be a beautiful yet unwearable, artsy mess. The collection was based on a “fictional female character and her descent into madness.” (Quite appropriate for the last few days of fashion week.)
What I saw when I walked in, however, was an utterly hip and wearable collection of tops, pants, and dresses. The vibe is definitely downtown, but I live uptown and I wanted a good chunk of this collection.
Tuesday May 25th, 2010
Fashion School Honorable Mentions
While researching the world’s top fashion schools, we were excited to learn about some up-and-coming programs.
And we expect to see great things out of them in the next decade. In no particular order, they are….
Wednesday January 27th, 2010
Sustainable Design Shouldn’t Be an Option, It Should Be a Given
Last night I attended a panel at Pratt Institute featuring Barneys’ fashion director Julie Gilhart, Slow & Steady Wins the Race designer Mary Ping and Uluru designer Caroline Priebe. They talked about sustainable design, but it wasn’t your typical marketing spiel. Indeed, these three women are passionate about design with a conscious. But their cause Read more →
