Twelve students and alumni of The Art Institutes system of schools will put their talent to the test on one of fashion’s biggest stages—Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. These budding designers will debut their Fall / Winter collections Feb. 17, at 8 p.m., at Lincoln Center in New York City.
This marks the fourth season that The Art Institutes has partnered with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week to provide a career-starting platform for up-and-coming designers.
To earn the honor of showing their collections, the 12 designers competed against fellow students and graduates from across The Art Institutes system of more than 50 schools.
Their submissions were judged by a panel of fashion experts including David Siedlarczyk, designer at Calvin Klein Men’s Intimates; Thuy Diep, fashion designer, entrepreneur, and principal at wFOURTH/Creative + Consulting; designer Douglas Hannant; and Daniela Anastasio Bardazzi, Creative Director at Etienne Aigner.
Since their selection, the 12 finalists have been closely mentored by faculty and staff as they finalized their runway collections to debut at the show. This year’s crop of designers brings an international component to the show, having spent their childhoods in countries ranging from China and Thailand to Italy and Mexico.
The designers featured in the show are current students and graduates of The Art Institutes locations in Dallas, Houston, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco and Vancouver.
The Art Institutes is hosting a live runway event on its website at 8 p.m. EST on Feb. 17, when viewers from across the globe can watch as the designers debut their runway collections.
