Wear in the World Art Institute Fashion Show

Seattlest dropped by the Art Institute’s dress rehearsal and model-fitting yesterday and met with some of the featured designers in the upcoming runway event, Wear in the World Fashion Show, March 11th at the SODO Showbox. When we think of the Art Institute’s previous student fashion shows, we think of big budget productions: sophisticated lighting, local celebrities, glossy catalogs, expensive venues and fancy effects. But what takes place before the awe-inspiring production is like an episode of Kell on Earth: Excel sheets of seating charts scattered about, humming laptops, industrial racks, randomly stacked boxes and nervous, hopeful energy in the air. Unlike the docudrama of People’s Revolution, this show is organized by capable, eager students and Seattle’s own New York transplant and fashion event legend, Joan Kelly, Art Institute fashion instructor and creator of Fashion First.

Tomorrow 19 talented student designers will premier their 7-10 piece collection in front of an expected mass of 1,600 people. In between students stacking boxes and jumping over each other in event-mode frenzy, Kelly told us how this mass-production works:

"Our show has a lot of energy and it’s fun. Students work really hard to produce the show but also they have to work their collection into seven themes. Three for fall and four themes for spring: bohemian, mystical, Savannah adventure, glitter, glam and pop, deconstruction, twisted effects (think gothic, Tim Burton style, netting, etc) and film noir,”.

We took a sneak peak at some of the designer’s collections, and the above stated themes are exquisitely conveyed through the textiles and design techniques. So as not to give any secrets away, we're most excited for Nathalie Amthor's Lady Gaga-esque glitter, glam and pop piece, and Isaiah Whitmore's dark, urban men's wear.

Thursday, March 11 // Sodo Showbox // $20 Pre-registered // $30 at the door // 5pm and 8pm Shows