Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week S/S 2009: Academy of Art University

The main tent hit a little close to home when the Academy of Art University in San Francisco showed the collections of 15 graduates - including two online students!

All photos by Randy Brooke

First up to the plate was online student and womenswear designer, Elena Akoulova, who gave us a fashion opus of A-line linen dresses with various draping techniques. Drenched in orchid hues of greens, lavenders, pinks and yellows, each look was a springy delicacy.

With modern dance and movement as her inspiration womenswear designer, Tara Bradley (who happens to be a trained dancer) gave us tailored looks of white cotton shirts and silk pants that had feminine appeal with a tinge of masculine tailoring.

Menswear designer, Eric Tan and textile designer Katrina Cordiale teamed up for a very post-apocalyptic Americana collection inspired by prisoners mending their clothing with patches - and the story comes through. With a muted palette and layered silhouettes of cotton shirts and pants, these are some stylishly grungy prisoners.

Breezy, peachy and dreamy with twinkling wonder, womenswear designer Johanna Hatzenbuehler gave us a sustainable collection of recycled fabrics inspired by the Iguacu waterfalls of South America.

The dynamic duo of Anne Jones (womenswear designer) and Michelle Clarke (textile designer) created a collection of finely structured garments in eye soothing pastels and  explosive oversized sequined gowns that gave a shimmy and a shake a la old school Tina Turner. Inspired by Olafur Eliasson's exhibit, Take Your Time and nature versus artificiality, the collection blazed the runway with stained glass hues and savvy garments.

Jaime Cole does double duty as a menswear and textile designer with her collection inspired by street art and music. With netted tanks and oversized and over-dyed denim pants, her perspective on streetwear is on steroids, giving us futuristic Duran Duran looks worthy ofstreet cred. And P.S. her draped denim tank was magical.

Womenswear designer, Desiree Daniels mixed silvers with neutral and added dashes of inspiration from constructivist artist Naum Gabo and the whimsy of suspension bridges. The result? Finely tuned garments that made your eyes absorb every detail.

Two words can describe the collection of womenswear designer Warot Subsrisunjai and sculptor/accessory designer, Mike Feeney: geometric and monochromatic. With funky sillhouettes and multiple sided plastic purses, the two gave us a collection worthy of a stylish sci-fi film

With textiles designer by Sook-yeong Kwon and menswear design by Ali Khan (the second online student to show), we were funky, youthful and had the perfect amount of avant-guardness (is that even a word) suitable for the hipster that's ahead of the curve. Unfortinately, Ali wasn't able to be there to see his collection because he wasn't able to get a visa. Doesn't that suck?

Daniel Emir Armosilla put his womenswear and knitwear design skills with off-center and awkwardly beautiful knit ponchos and sweaters that showcased vibrant jagged patternsand his perspective for the avant garde - and how bout that bamboo caftan? That's a lot of look!

Womenswear designer, Kara Laricks decided to take the concept of the "morning after" dress shirt and create a sexy collection of garments that are not only brilliant but also wearable for those ladies who stay ahead of the fashion curve.