13 Recent Fashion School Grads Ready to Make It Big

On September 8, the Academy of Art University held a fashion show for its MFA graduates. Seventeen students produced 13 collections that showed off their range of skills and artistry. “The collections reflect the designers’ ability to explore their individual spirit while mastering their craft,” said Simon Ungless, executive director of the School of Fashion. “It has been a pleasure for all of us in the School of Fashion to mentor them through their fashion education, both onsite and online.” Here are the final results.

1. Nicholle Jones
Jones has a background in millinery, which is immediately clear in her collection. Read more about her, here.

2. Justing Kong Jian
Jian was inspired by artists Salvador Dali and Oskar Schlemmer.

3. Tingting Cai, and Esther (Tian) Qi
This collection was a collaboration between Cai, an MFA student, and Qi, a BFA fashion design student.

4. Yoonsuk Lee
Lee took on the concept of the “walk of shame” and was inspired by elements from the work of photographers Irving Penn and Vivian Maier.

5. Snežana Aničić-Van Pelt
Pelt also has a BA in Ethnology and Anthropology.

6. Mark Kazu Mekaru, Katy Fang Liu, and Amo (Yu Ling) Chou
Liu is a MFA textile design student, while Chou is an MFA knitwear design student. They came together with Mekaru to create this collection.

7. Longwen Li and Kiwon Kang
Another collaboration between a fashion design student and a textile design student, Li and Kang were inspired by glitch art, distorted images, and Revenge of the Nerds 2, among other things.

8. Zhihan Liu
Liu was inspired by a particularly harrowing scene from the movie Shutter Island.

9. Vivid Yunan Ma
Ma earned her MFA in knitwear design, which is easily apparent from the textures of her work here.

10. Changsheng Yu
Inspired by the black-and-white photography of Andrés Canal and Horst P. Horst.

11. Zibo Wang
Wang drew from her childhood, growing up on a military compound.

12. Lusha Wang
Look at all this intricate detailing!

13. Jessica (Ching Chi) Lai
An ode to pop-art and the work of Olimpia Zagnoli.

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