September 8, 2007

The Academy of Art put forth several new talents this season, ranging from textile designers to menswear to knits, young designers unafraid of taking risks and working with unexpected material. While the focus on recycled parachute material in the collection by James Yoest and Sharon Yeh was hardly beautiful in the traditional sense, they were nonetheless quirky and creative. Standouts include Haa Cheng Thai’s laser-cut eveningwear (in which she also managed to pull off the new dress silhouette, with a faux-bustle and widening line), as well as Kyung Min Kim’s textiles, including bold but beautiful prints that easily could walk among the top designers today. Perhaps the greatest hit of the night, however, was the final knit designer, MinSun Lee, who showed a stunning collection of layered and polka dotted dresses and sweaters, covetable even for those who shy away from knits.