This year the annual University of Texas Fashion show called “Fusion” will showcase more than twenty twenty talented designers who will send their creative designs down the runway in front of a packed Frank Erwin Center on Thursday night.
The designers will not only be premiering their designs but they will also be competing for several awards, such as Most Wearable Collection and a special presentation sponsored by Lexus.
A fashion challenge was given to the junior fashion design students and they were asked to design a garment inspired by the all-new 2015 Lexus RC. “The top 10 designs will be shown on the runway and the audience will text to vote the winner, who will receive a scholarship from Lexus of Austin”, said Cassie Lemere, Marketing Director for Lexus of Austin.
The Immersed In Cotton display will open up the evening festivities at 5:30 pm and the fashion show will begin at 7:15 pm and the show will be broadcast LIVE on the The Longhorn Network for the third year in a row. Congratulations to all the designers and we will see you at the end of the runway!
Designer Name: Carissa Lynn Melendez
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Major: Textiles and Apparel Design, as well as Business Foundations Program
Name of Collection: Amor a Primer Beso (Love at First Kiss)
Favorite Designer: Zuhair Murad
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Annie’s Cafe and Bar
Cats or Dogs: CATS–ALWAYS!! Ragdoll kitties to be specific. I’m a cat lady for sure ; )
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: I would absolutely love to work with Burberry in London, and help not only design Menswear but also help put on the fashion shows as well!! I feel like I would learn so much from both experiene.
Designer Name: Leonie Versteeg
Hometown: Emmeloord, The Netherlands
Major: Retail Merchandising
Name of Collection: Dovah (“Dragon”)
Favorite Designer:Zac Posen
Favorite Austin Restaurant: 24 Diner
Cats or Dogs: Cats. 2, actually: a little orange one named Lana and a 19lb gentle giant named Archer.
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: I would love to see someone wear something I made for the most important day of their life, a wedding gown, a suit for their first interview, anything! It would make me incredibly happy to know someone values and cherishes something I designed
Designer Name: Seungki Cho
Hometown:Seoul, Korea
Major: Textiles and apparel
Name of Collection: Winter Memories
Favorite Designer: Balenciaga ,givenchy
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Daito
Cats or Dogs: Cats
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Having my own collection show in Paris.
Designer Name: Sandy Jungmin An
Hometown: Plano, TX
Major: Textiles and Apparel
Name of Collection: Colorless Statements
Favorite Designer: Phillip Lim
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Ramen Tatsuya
Cats or Dogs: Cats! Meow
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: I would like to be featured as one of the most sought out designer in the NYFW in ten years.
Designer Name: Billie Green
Hometown: San Antonio, TX
Major: Textiles and Apparel
Name of Collection: Femxle
Favorite Designer: Iris Van Herpen
Cats or Dogs: Dog
Top Fashion Exerience You Would Like to Have: I would like to be an artist for the rest of my life, and if I can channel that via fashion, that will always be my top fashion experience.
Designer Name: Lillie Noe
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Major: Apparel Design and Plan II Honors
Name of Collection: Organic Machine
Favorite Designer: Christian Dior
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Uchi
Cats or Dogs: Dogs! I have a Bichon Frise.
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Designing costumes for a movie!
Designer Name: Mary Beth Newton
Hometown: Austin, Tx
Major: Sociology; Textiles & Apparel Design
Name of Collection: Wanderers
Favorite Designer: Rosie Assoulin
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Pappadeaux’s
Cats or Dogs: Catdog
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to have: CFDA award recipient with an invitation to collaborate with NASA for further astronaut spacesuit development.
Designer Name: Tina Tran
Hometown: Orange County, CA
Major: Textiles and Apparel –
Name of Collection: Eastward
Favorite Designer: Alice Temperley
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Ramen Tatsuya
Cats or Dogs: A lot of both!
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Creating a signature fragrance for my own brand.
Designer Name: Alyssa Reavis
Hometown: Fredericksburg, TX
Major: Apparel Design
Name of Collection: M.O.D.
Favorite Designer: Christian Dio
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Anything Italian!
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to HaveTo work for a top brand and get design tips from one of my favorite designers.
Designer Name: Cheryl Lam
Hometown: Sugar Land, TX
Major: Apparel Design
Name of Collection: Ceremonials
Favorite Designer: Marchesa
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Eastside Cafe
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Would like to work/design for London Fashion Week.
Designer Name: Kara Lechtenberger
Hometown: Houston,TX
Major: Apparel Design
Name of Collection: Caught up in Capri
Favorite Designer: Elie Saab
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Santa Ritas
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: To intern for one of my dream companies
Designer Name: Andrea Fernandez
Hometown: Managua, Nicaragua
Major: Apparel Design
Name of Collection: Riviera
Favorite Designer: Dolce & Gabbana
Favorite Austin Restaurant: St. Phillips
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Work at the Costume Institute at the MET
Designer Name: Courtney Gilmore
Hometown: League City, TX
Major: Apparel Design
Name of Collection: Cracked
Favorite Designer: Ports 1961
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Bangers – love their delicious poutine
Cats or Dogs: Definitely dogs
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: For me, the top experience would be to have a successful line of my own and have my designs worn by all types of women.
Designer Name: Kat Wang
Hometown: Cary, North Carolina
Major: Apparel Design
Collection name: Rebel without a Cause
Favorite designer: Balmain
Favorite austin restaurant: Trudy’s
Cats/dogs: Cats
Top fashion experience i would like to have: To have my own fashion show at New York Fashion Week
Designer Name: Eun Ko
Hometown: Austin, TX
Name of Collection: Gifting
Favorite Designer: Elie Saab
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Arro Austin
Cats or Dogs: Both
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: To be a creative director of a brand.
Designer Name: Candace Ann McKinney
Hometown:San Saba, TX
Major:Textiles and Apparel – Design
Name of Collection: Desert Bloom
Favorite Designer: Alexander McQueen
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Takoba
Cats or Dogs: Both
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Seeing one of my gowns being worn on the red carpet.
Designer Name: Seihak Long
Hometown: Cambodia
Major: Retail and Design
Name of Collection: Golden Hour
Favorite Designer: Oscar de la Renta
Favorite Austin Restaurant: 888
Cats or Dogs: Dogs
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Time management.
Designer Name: Dylan Batch
Hometown: Odessa, TX
Major: Apparel Design
Name of Collection: Wakati
Favorite Designer: Betsey Johnson
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Trudy’s
Cats or Dogs: Cats
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: Collaborate with a Indian designer for a famous Bollywood movie
Ros Bellenger
Tedi Infante
Designer Name: Tedi Infante
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Major: Textiles and Apparel
Name of Collection: Havana Nights
Favorite Designer: Diane von Furstenberg
Favorite Austin Restaurant: Maudie’s Tex Mex
Cats or Dogs: Dogs… English Bulldogs and Dachshunds
Top Fashion Experience You Would Like to Have: It’s difficult to pinpoint exactly how, but my dream is to positively impact the fashion industry in the United States. If I were able to be a part of improving textile production and manufacturing here in America, that would be a gratifying experience.