It’s an assignment as big as the City. Design fashions that draw inspiration from New York. It’s a natural for FIT students, and Elle magazine is on to it. For the third year, Elle is partnering with FIT for its Fashion Next Design Award, sponsored by Maybelline NY. Twenty student designers have been chosen as finalists. Their words and designs show how entrenched they are in city life and how they chose to express their influences through fashion.
There are sights that make people nostalgic in New York, says one of the finalists Jongsuk Park. “They are rusts, found in every part of the city. Walking by the tall new buildings, it is easy to find old brick buildings and rusty structures.”
- Karen Pancho design
“My work is on the edge of two extremes.” says another finalist Karen Pancho. “I’m inspired by the push and pull of opposites…”
- Bobae Kim design
“I was inspired by the mood of NYC at night,” says Bobae Kim. “[My] looks combine witty with modern silhouettes and present the youth and energy unique to NYC.”
- Joshua Myrie design
“My aesthetic stems from my passion for industrial design and art,” says Joshua Myrie. “The use of fabric oddities stays at the core of my aesthetic. ”
Who will the winner be? Check online to see the show live-streamed at 7:30 p.m. EST on Friday, September 7 from Lincoln Center’s Koch Theater during New York Fashion Week.
To learn more about the finalists and to see their work go to Fashion Next 2012 FIT