If I hadn’t asked someone where the UT sewing lab was, I probably would have been able to find it on my own from the pile of discarded fast food styrofoam cups that marked the entrance. Undoubtedly fueling up on caffeine and late night quick bites, the graduating fashion design students were hard at work, some up until the very last minute, making sure their best work would make it down the runway for their show.
Contour was the perfect theme of this year’s UT Apparel Design Program fashion show. With so many unique designers with varying aesthetics, there was such a wide variety of silhouettes to be seen. With everything from flowy gowns to workout wear, there was a little something for everyone in this year’s show. When asked at the after party at Elysium what my favorite collection was, it was honestly impossible for me to answer. Every collection had something special to offer and the hard work that the seniors put into this show was very apparent. There were several unique standout pieces, including Harrison Koiwai’s show stopping finale swan gown which gained the most comments from the peanut gallery sitting around me. It was an impressive show put on by an impressively talented group of designers and I am excited to see what the future holds for this group.
Check out our photos of the runway show and see who won the Award for Best Collection:
Knitted Fabric Project:
Jonathan Shakarisaz
Sofia Maldonado
Daniela Vasquez
Lauren Tullos
Albert Zhou
Winner of Knitted Fabric Award
Vivienne Hoang
Harrison Koiwai
Winner of Knitted Fabric Award
Stefant Phonthephasone
Individual Designer Collections:
Sofia Maldonado
Marisa Chapman
Sara Essoufi
I loved the fun use of color blocking in Sara’s collection. While color blocking with bright colors is a trend we have seen a lot of in the past few months, I thought her take on it was fresh and the collection as a whole would have made for a fun editorial shoot.
Ashley Trevino
Chandler Hamilton
Most Marketable Honorable Mention
Best Collection Honorable Mention
Chandler Hamilton’s collection was one of my favorite collections as a whole. I particularly loved her draping of the Grecian goddess-like gowns.
Jonathan Shakarisaz
Best Construction
Jonathan’s collection definitely made a statement on the runway and I was impressed by the detail work he put into his denim pieces. (I also loved the sexy model faces that the male models were giving on the runway.)
Daniela Vasquez
Lauren Tullos
Lauren Stewart
Andrea Salazar
Andrea’s cropped black feather jacket was one of my favorite individual pieces of the night. It was just the right amount of unique and daring combined with good tailoring and sophistication.
Loan Trinh
Loan’s cream coat really stood out on the runway to me. I loved the shape and it looked to me like a modern take on a 1960’s coat.
Rebekah Hoffer
Rebekah’s collection was quirky and cute. The dramatic petticoat skirt was adorable. I love the changes that she made to her collection since having seen photos of the original design. The final product was really fun.
Wendy Sandoval
Andrea Conti
Vivienne Hoang
Mai Tran
Katrina Raz
Winner of Most Innovative
Katrina’s collection use of texture was really something to experience and see up close. I really loved that it reminded me of the ocean. The photos don’t do it enough justice!
Kaidon Ho
He might have been in the sewing lab cutting fabric the day of the show, but Kaidon really turned out an amazing collection. It’s impressive when a designer uses all black but still maintains interest and depth. His use of unique silhouettes and mixing of textures helped achieve some fierce pieces. It was one of my favorites.
Janie Kang
Winner of Best Collection
Just look at those pants! They are tailored perfectly. I particularly loved this first outfit by Janie who won overall Best Collection.
Albert Zhou
Winner of Most Innovative
Albert’s collection was so sharp! I was totally diggin his menswear.
Stefant Phonthephasone
Samantha Kidd
Winner of Most Marketable
