For the Love of the Runway: 2012

After attending the UMN Fashion Design Senior Fashion show: Distortion last year, I can't wait to see what the class of 2012 has to offer. This Saturday, 11 seniors from the U of M’s College of Design will present their final student collection. I am really looking forward to seeing the below designers, who's moodboards really peaked my interest.

Laura Van Riper

Laura is a Minnesotan at heart. She gathers inspirations from nature, dance, and the people surrounding her. As a young girl Laura took interest in her father’s architectural blueprints. By age 9 Laura decided she would rather design clothes than buildings. She taught herself how to sew and has aimed to be a designer ever since.

Laura’s collection, Ethereal Hours, is inspired by a woman’s journey from the woods into the city. The deeper she travels, the more her surroundings overtake her utter being. Laura created her collection with muted images of feminine roses and chandeliers running through her mind. In addition to the importance of creativity and quality in craft, Laura first and foremost values relationships with those who inspire her.

Lizzie Hillmann

Although Lizzie has always been greatly inspired by fashion, it wasn’t until midway through her business degree at the Carlson School of Management that she decided to pursue this immense passion. Lizzie has sought to create feminine, detailed garments that give women more confidence and sophistication in their everyday lives. She has already combined her degree in marketing with her design education by launching a clothing line with fellow classmate Silvia Guttmann, called Silvia & Elizabeth, available at Allee Metro Chic.

Lizzie's work has received awards from a variety of organizations and competitions, including the Minnesota State Fair, the Industrial Fabrics Association International, and the International Symposium on Wearable Computers. Most recently, one of Lizzie’s three designs accepted into the 2011 International Textile & Apparel Association Conference won, and she was awarded an upcoming two-week internship in London with prominent designer Zhandra Rhodes.

Lizzie’s senior collection explores garments with both rigid and soft structures, inspired by the gothic architecture and cathedrals she fell in love with in a recent study abroad experience in Paris. The collection depicts the story of a woman lost in the beauty of her surroundings, blurring the lines between her body and environment.

Andrea Sittler

Andrea Sittler developed her love of fashion in high school, and has embraced the culture of the Twin Cities as a student at the University of Minnesota. She has a natural drive for creativity and special love of color that is expressed in her style that is both classic and funky. She also pays close attention to detail. Andrea was recognized with the “Aspiring Designer” award for designing a unique 1950s inspired outfit her first year at University of Wisconsin-Stout, and also won an award for designing one of the top three best selling garments at WSI, a company that specializes in performance athletic wear. Her drive does not stop there and she hopes to push the limits in the fashion world by revolutionizing the fashion norms. Andrea’s goal is to fuse street wear and high fashion into a style of her own, redefine the tone of professional wear, and to create forward fashion that is available to everyone.

Carol Fallabeck

Carol is an artist with a collaborative style that allows her client to become part of the creative process. Her aesthetic includes advanced color blocking, curvilinear lines, detailed attention to silhouette, and innovative design features. She finds joy in creating pieces that feel uniquely filled with personality of the wearer while also infused with the intelligence of a sophisticated designer.

Originally from Racine, Wisconsin, she enjoys designing with other designers in cooperative and open environments, finding that these relationships often lead to the most innovative and informed designs. She has worked in New York as a design intern for both 80%20 Footwear and the independent designer, Aimee G. She has also worked in corporate design atmosphere as a technical design intern for Target Headquarters. Carol also has experience with runway productions, including two University of Minnesota Senior Fashion Shows, Boston Scientific Hearts for Fashion show at the Mall of America, and the Heart Association’s Red Dress Gala

Gabby Goetz

Gabby has always been drawn to the outdoors and nature. She finds this a common area of inspiration for her designs, especially from the places she has traveled to and lived, such as her native Saint Paul and summer home on Leech Lake. Gabby takes the natural beauty that surrounds her and translates it into her garments. These natural inspirations can be seen in unique aesthetics such as fabric structures and movement imitating water, landscapes, organic textures, and all living things. can also be seen in her bold fabric and color choices. Gabby includes unexpected detailing to a simple silhouette to create a design that flatters a woman’s body and accentuates her beauty.

Silvia Guttmann

Silvia Guttmann earned her Textile Engineering Degree at the Technical University in Liberec, Czech Republic. She came to the United States to continue her studies for a career in Apparel Design and is currently a senior at the University of Minnesota, College of Design. She has received prizes and accolades for her work, including first place for the collaboration “project better gown” from the Park Nicollet Foundation. But she values the knowledge she has gained through school above everything else. She loves the challenge and diversity that the apparel industry offers. She is often inspired by nature, and its complexity and beauty. She is looking forward to the challenges and inspirations of designing her collections.

To find more information on this event visit http://fashionshow.design.umn.edu/, http://www1.umn.edu/news/news-releases/2012/www.twitter.com/SrFashionShow.html official hashtag #12FashionShow or http://www1.umn.edu/news/news-releases/2012/www.facebook.com/seniorfashionshow.html.

Photos & text found here.