FUR-TRIMMED FASHION: DAVID FERREIRA

Sempiternal S/S 2016 by David Ferreira [photo: courtesy David Ferreira]

Fur and feathers emerge as the closing act of the VFiles Spring/Summer 2016 Runway. Oozing yellow and opulence, the debut collection of Portugese designer David Ferreira charismatically coalesces Big-Bird + ballgowns. One of five winners of Vfiles Made Fashion week in September 2015, Ferreira is also a recipient of the prestigious Fashion Scout Merit Award and served as protégé to Iris van Herpen, Giles Deacon and Meadham Kirchhoff. With practicality under debate, Ferreira's unnervingly unique collections provide an esoteric evaluation of beauty, luxury and extravagance. Volume and delicacy--both from a macro and micro perspective--are used to execute strong and simple design through the use of luxury (fur, feathers), tulle, beads and trims. Keep reading for our quick dialogue on imagination and inspirations...

BEAUTY--COOPER HEWITT DESIGN TRIENNIAL

Beauty--Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial; Dress by Sanne van Winden + Suzanne va der Aa + Michiel Schuurman, Posters by Vlisco Netherlands

Beyond the beholder, beauty is a measure of elegance, a means of attraction and a stimulating show of grace. In an expansive display, Beauty--Cooper Hewitt Design Triennial is the fifth in an annual showcase of contemporary art. 63 designers explore 7 categorizations of beauty in expressions of Extravagant, Intricate, Ethereal, Transgressive, Emergent and Elemental. Taping into innovative representations,"Beauty is visceral and embodied, not just visual. Beauty strikes the senses. It erupts from sensual invention and it adds endless value to the world we inhabit [source]." Keep reading for a look inside the exhibit...

LONG TRAN LAUNCHES F/W 2015 IN THE LOWER EAST SIDE

Longtran Vamfim shoe

Monochrome mischief fuels a fashion frenzy this Summer Friday. Saturday and Sunday, August 21st to the 22nd, the Lower East Side hosts Long Tran's launch of his F/W 2015 line. With a sensational start in 2011, the FIT grad continues taking tailoring and upscale fashion to a futuristic frontier through texture and 3D concepts. Keep reading to get a glimpse of the 2-day Hanging Garments of Babylong Exhibition.... 

FASHION FORWARD -- FIT GRADUATES

Esmeralda Fyhr/Fashion Design BFA, Intimate Apparel Critic Award Winner (Front)

Somewhere between startup and success sits schooling and stamina. This May, graduates of New York's Fashion Institute of Technology showcase their strengths in the lobby of the Museum at FIT. Soon, the class of 2015 will join Brian Atwood, David Chu (founder of Nautica), Nanette Lepore, Reem Acra and others in the ever-growing pool of talented FIT alumni. Keep reading to have a look at some of the favorites from this year's fashion design BFA program...