Students Show Their Designs at the UT 2013 Fashion Show "Transcend"

It is easily one of the most anticipated fashion shows of the year in Austin. The UT senior fashion design students showed their final collections Thursday night to a crowd full of friends, family, and supporters including not one but two current reality tv fashion stars- Daniel Esquivel of “Project Runway”, and Cameron Silver of “Dukes of Melrose”. This year the show was broadcast live from The Frank Erwin Center (for the 2 people I know who actually have the Longhorn Network). But in spite of the painful tv announcers and awkward commercial breaks, the show was just as fun and exciting as years past.

Along with the hits, there are always some misses in a student fashion show, but overall I am always impressed at the outcome of the UT show, and this year was no exception. It’s truly amazing to think that some of these students have just learned to sew. The pieces that walk down the runway are the result of a lot of hard work on top of other schoolwork, which is sometimes combined with real world jobs as well.

The show was broken down into 3 sections- Active Sportswear, 3 Piece collections, and Evening and Bridal Gowns. I was happily surprised at the creativity that some designers used in the active sportswear category by choosing less mainstream sports to design for, including fencing and fly fishing. Although, I think we were all a little concerned when designer Lilia Beaman roller skated out on stage and almost fell down receiving her Honorable Mention award for Best Overall Collection (luckily the fashion show director Eve Nicols was there to grab her.) Designers Mehgan McKinney and Kinni Song tied for the most wins of the night with Mehgan winning Best Cotton Sportswear, Best Technical Design, and the coveted award for Best Overall Collection. Kinni Song walked away with Best Cotton Collection, Most Marketable Collection, and Best Bridal Gown. But while I agree that Mehgan and Kinni stood out, I do feel like there are certain designers who were overlooked.

Hannah Kim’s 3 piece collection inspired by metallic brocades and simple silhouettes was one of my favorite collections of the night, and somehow walked away with zero awards. And while Bang Nguyen received an Honorable Mention for Best Technical Design, his 3 piece collection inspired by The Great Gatsby and the Roaring 20s grabbed zero actual wins. Bang’s black glitter men’s suit reminded me a little bit of Michael Jackson circa 1983 in the best way possible, and all I’m saying is that if he made me a female version, I would gladly go on stage and attempt my best “Billie Jean.”

Who were your favorites of the night?