The Ole College Try
Albright College Fashion Department had its runway show in NYC, at the 3 West Club in Manhattan, on Saturday, September 9, 2023. This EXTREMELY creative show by present and alumni students was produced by Very New York PR (events and public relations) and they did an excellent job. Albright College is located in Reading, PA and founded in 1856. Albright College is named one of the top fashion programs in the country because they offer hands-on instructions from the staff to make sure they are skilled in the latest technology. Even some of the instructors of the fashion department were at the show. Besides teaching students how to create commercial ready-to- wear, the college specializes in costume design for film and theater. To learn more about the college, go to WWW.ALBRIGHT.EDU.
This runway show featured six very talented designers that showed very beautiful and unusual fashions. Since I have been in the fashion industry many years, I felt these designers showed styles I’ve never seen before. Of all the shows I saw this season I felt this one was the best because of the fact that everything was unusual and not something that had been done much before. Some of the designers showed clothing that could be made into a line of ready to wear while other designers showed couture or theatrical clothing that would be perfect on the stage or screen by actresses and preforming artist. All in all, these designers did an amazing job of designing, fabric sourcing and sewing their creations. I was only able to interview two designers after the show because of time but I will touch on each one and show a photo of their creations.
JASMINE BURTON
She graduated in 2017 and this was her 2024 resort collection by her own brand, Jamine Nasha. Her inspiration for the collection was a photograph of her late grandmother laying across a bed in a yellow negligee with design aspects (the ruffles) from the designer Stephen Burrows in the late 1970s.
NICHOLAS KEDGE
He graduated in 2023. His inspiration is from a dystopian landscape or the intricacies of the human anatomy . He focuses on mixing the skills of traditional patternmaking with draping done by hand that make the garments very fluid.
VICTORIA AQUINO
She is a graduate student of 2023. Her inspiration comes from Harajuku Street Fashion (little girl style and cutesy clothes worn in the streets on young women/teens in Japan and NYC), couture runway shows and experimental fashion.
SUSAN BENITEZ
Class of 2015 with a major in costume design. Her Spring 2024 brand is whimsical, colorful and feminine. Her inspiration for her designs is clothing details from films of the 1950s that feature bold floral jacquard and brocade fabrics.
ZYAIRE VALENTINE
This person is graduating in 2023 and will be looking into work in couture. I interviewed Zyaire after the show and I was told it all starts with a vision and then looking for images of the vision online to get inspiration from, after these fabrics are chosen and sketches are made. I love the use of patient and plaid taffeta made into ruffles. Some special details are full skirts and corset tops that lace in the back . This collection is perfect for editorial in magazines such as Vouge or stage outfits for performing artist. Colors used purple, yellow, red and black and white.
ALFREDO DIAZ
Freddie graduated in 2016 and has been working for designer Ana Sui and Dzines Textiles ever since. I interviewed him after the show and he told me his inspiration is from his family heritage in the Dominican Republic. His use of silk print fabrics in tropical colors with flowers is totally what the ladies would wear there in the 1950s. Details such as ruffles, handkerchief hems, A-line silhouettes and circle skirts make this a very feminine collection. His collection is perfect for resort season. He even made a men’s resort short in white eyelet with a red shirt (bottom right in photo) that looks like the kind of shirts the guys from the Dominican Republic use to wear in NYC in the Hispanic neighborhoods 30-40 years ago. His clothes are to order at WWW.SHOPFREDDYDIAZ.COM
Show production and PR by WWW.VERYNEWYORK.COM