My daughter Caelee has just recently completed her training with Paul Roberts at Primodels. Caelee and I would like to thank Paul for his professionalism and expertise in her training which she has thoroughly enjoyed and learnt so much. I would highly recommend Primodels with their high-standard professionalism and integrity for any young female or male wishing to obtain the skills required to be a successful model.
Fashion
Designer Update Pratt Honors the Past and the Present
“We all started here,” related designer Byron Lars of his experience studying at the Pratt Institute. “Up all night, working tirelessly on your collection—your first collection—the first one that anybody in the industry will actually view. It’s a really big thing.” Lars and the legendary Stephen Burrows were honored by Pratt in a ceremony just before the annual Pratt student fashion show yesterday at Center548 in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood.
“To be awarded for [something that I feel is a privilege every day]—it’s like, that feels really wrong!” exclaimed Lars upon receiving his Fashion Visionary Award from longtime friend and fan Angela Bassett. (“Uptown they call it swag. Downtown, struts. But up the way where I’m from, they say, ‘I’m feeling’ myself,’” said Bassett of what it means to wear Lars’ colorful creations.)
Burrows thanked his muse, Pat Cleveland (who danced down the runway to present him with his Lifetime Achievement Award), for inspiration for his game-changing designs. “What inspired me to even want to do this? What I thought of first was my mother’s black patent-leather pumps—and, of course, my meeting with Pat Cleveland,” recalled Burrows. As a student fresh out of Pratt, “I didn’t see a need for a lining.That was a little avant garde at the time, but it was fantastic,” he said. “It’s all about freedom.”
For the students last night as well, there was a sense of uninhibited creativity on the runway. Sixties space-age-style wares, monochromatic sculptural separates, deconstructed sweaters dripping in cakey off-white paint, and pastel color-blocked, candy-sweet knit crop tops represented just a few of the twenty-one student collections on view. “[The landscape of fashion] has always been mercurial by nature, but now…social media and online sales have changed everything we do,” said Lars. “It’s just about being sensitive to the opportunities that are presented—the real opportunities.”
“You never know what you’re going to see,” added Burrows just before the show, “but hopefully it’s something innovative and new and exciting.”
Photo: Fernando Colon
Creativity Without Commercial Restraints at SCAD’s Annual Fashion Show
The Savannah College of Art and Design has acquired some eighty buildings since its inception in 1978—many of which are historic, and so spread out that a campus tour requires a car—and the development is showing no signs of slowing down. The facilities are even more impressive. Fashion students are trained on state-of-the-art laser cutters, 3-D printers, and every type of textile and fiber contraption the mind can imagine. All of that has made SCAD a hot spot of emerging fashion talent, which the school proudly displayed at Saturday night’s annual student fashion show.
Beverly Sung’s pleated, asymmetrical dresses (above, left) were a respectable nod to Issey Miyake. Sculptural, digital printed dresses from Wenxia Wang and Zenobia Duncan (below, left) were equally impressive. Elaine Lui, a former Alexander Wang intern, drew creativity from her native Hong Kong, with mesh-overlaid streetwear covered with prints of electric wiring and light-up LCD details built into the clothes (above, right). Across the board, fabric innovation was the big story here—burned Lycra, hand-plisséd skirts, digitally printed boiled wool. Dean of Fashion Michael Fink told us, “What sets this year apart is that there is so much textile and fiber development. The fashion students are actually making their own textiles in collaboration with our Fibers students.”
One-on-ones with the designers after the show afforded an opportunity to hear their stories and inspirations. Michael Mann’s conceptual menswear referenced football, a comment on the offense and defense he struggled between while being bullied as a teen. Wesley Berryman’s parents drove eight hours from rural Tennessee to come see him show androgynous creations that might feel at home on a rack beside Rick Owens and Gareth Pugh (above, right). Berryman’s mother told us, “I don’t know where he got his fashion sense—definitely not from me! When we used to go to Walmart [to buy clothes], I was always worried he would put up a fight! But really, I just want to support my son.”
The real joy in seeing a student fashion show like SCAD’s is the opportunity to witness creativity without the commercial restraints many professional designers face. Free from the pressure of having to “sell” anything, and enabled by a supportive faculty and cutting-edge facilities, SCAD’s runway served as a rare, unfettered fashion moment.
Photos: Courtesy of SCAD
Lisa-Marra
My daughter Paige has been working with Paul from primodels for a few months now and has found it ” Awesome” ( to put it in her words). We come from a small country town 5 hours from Melbourne and Paige has gained enormous experience in catwalk and photography. It’s an opportunity she wouldn’t have had if Paul didn’t spot her in Melbourne on a school excursion. Working with Paul is a breeze. He has made Paige and us feel comfortable and relaxed in every way. Anyone looking to do a modelling course I recommend Paul at primodels
Face Time With Marc Jacobs
After entering the world of prestige cosmetics with quite a bang (debuting with 122 SKUs), Marc Jacobs has given himself some sizable shoes to fill. So it’s no great surprise that the designer has pulled out all the stops for his spring lineup, debuting not one, but five new products—our favorite being the Marvelous Mousse Transformative Foundation. Jacobs’ buttery new complexion perfector melts dreamily into skin when applied with a brush or with fingertips, and leaves behind a satin finish that lingers for hours. Though the featherweight formula is billed as full coverage, we’d say it’s more likely to delight those who prefer a medium finish. Plus, it’s infused with skin-soothing Indian ginseng, redness-reducing amino, and hydrating coconut.