Last night I accompanied my boss (I'm a fashion lawyer's assistant) to DENYC, a design competition at FIT. The experience was enriching in a multitude of ways.
Not only were the presentations well-done verbally and artistically, but the designed products were professionally crafted. I felt like I had just walked into Saks Fifth Avenue (and in fact, some of the brands featured do reside at such department stores) because the clothes and accessories on display were so nicely made.
This event opened my eyes to the fashion world and I immediately felt excited by an overwhelming happy buzz in the room. People were hopeful and deliberate in their designs and their passions. The designers were immersed in their creations and thoroughly convinced of the need for them in our society (not to mention, many of the design teams boasted that their products were made 100% in US factories, which is a really comforting thing to hear in light of employee abuse in some factories in certain countries).
Two different groups of designers stood out to me as distinct because of their business organization and truly unique design perspectives. Bex NYC is a sexy, quickly growing New York lingerie company, and the Ita Collection features innovative handbags which are made out of a patent-pending leather/metal fabric mix! The girls who are responsible for the Ita Collection have backgrounds in architecture and graphic design - and damn does this show in their work. The single most interesting statement made last night was by this sister-duo, who said that they look to create bags that are like buildings and structures. I think that this vision was accomplished (and I'm hoping that the bags are somewhat environmentally friendly...if that's possible).
Also, if you're into menswear, check out these incredible clothes, by one of last night's contestants David Hart.
