From showcasing the talents of up-and-coming local designers to celebrating established ones, the fifth annual Fashion Week San Antonio is set for Nov. 1 to 7. Most events take place at Texas A&M-San Antonio Educational & Cultural Center, 101 S. Santa Rosa Ave. (formerly the Museo Alameda).
Tony Harris, who operates a fashion production company and is an instructor at The Art Institute of San Antonio, is coordinating the week, made possible with sponsorships and in-kind donations, such as waived rental fees at the Texas A&M site and a $10,000 gratis marketing blitz from the city's Department for Culture & Creative Development.
Felix Padrón, the department's director, said his office also will provide a $1,500 cash award to the winner of the Current Collections: S.A. Emerging Designer Competition, featuring the work of Blanquita Sullivan, Josué Pacheco, Karen Paola Gallardo and Valerie J. Perez. The show is 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Texas A&M site. A fashion panel will select the winner.
Each designer has received $500 to help with the cost of creating a Spring/Summer 2014 collection, Padrón said. “This is in line with what we do: nurture and advance the development of artists and organizations in this community.”
For SAFW events and ticket information visit www.fashion sa.org.
Here's a look at the Emerging Designer contestants.
Blanquita Sullivan
The 36-year-old designer worked as Betsey Johnson's merchandising director in New York and now operates her own online dress business, www.BonjourBiqui.com. Sullivan, the mother of three daughters, has a Virginia Commonwealth University bachelor degree and is the visual manager for the Anthropologie store at The Shops at La Cantera.
Collection's name: “Secret Garden.” Fabrics include a cotton floral print, plaid taffeta, lace, muslin, upholstery cotton and dupioni silk. Many of her pieces are reversible.
Show inspiration: “I was inspired by stories my grandmother read to me from a collection of heirloom books. Themes for my collection are literature, magic, hidden gardens, keys and, as always, romance.”
Collection must-have: “The ultimate little black dress, perfect for any evening occasion — sophisticated, sexy and with pockets, because every woman wants pockets in her dress. Trust me.”
Designer idols: Ralph Lauren, artist Frida Kahlo, movie costumers Cecil Beaton and Edith Head and Johnson, who Sullivan said “has the most fun at what she does.”
Back story: “I grew up in a family of working artists. I listened to my father play jazz, my mother tell stories, helped my grandmother sew and watched my sister build a theater. I suppose I thought that anything was possible if I worked hard enough.”
Josué Pacheco
With a bachelor's in business from the University of Texas at San Antonio, Pacheco, 39, is a full-time teacher at the International Academy of Design & Technology (IADT). He said he'll launch a fashion blogging website next year.
Collection's name: “Beautiful God.” Pacheco will work with textured patterns, geometric prints and a color palette of gold, cream, white, beige and pink.
Show inspiration: “I was inspired by the simplicity of the designs of the Egyptian and Native American cultures. I love to create garments that are clean cut and streamlined.”
Collection must-have: “I believe a beautiful dress or gown is needed in a woman's wardrobe. I love floor-length gowns that create a sense of flow when strutting across a ballroom.”
Designer idols: Chanel by Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney and Elie Saab. “But I really get more inspired by street looks and what people are wearing out there.”
Fashion fervor: “Fashion has always been a part of my life. It is something that I grew up with as my second mother or my live-in nanny worked as a seamstress. I knew that fashion design was something I would always be passionate about.”
Karen Paola Gallardo
A student at The Art Institute of San Antonio, Gallardo, 20, will earn a bachelor's degree in fashion design next December. She has participated in the institute's annual “Fashion Scenes” show and was an entrant in the 2012 Humane Society of the United States' fur-free design contest called “Cool vs. Cruel.”
Collection's name: “Fresh Spring.” Fabrics include embroidered mesh, chiffon, cotton, silk, lambskin leather and an organic cotton knit. She has designed a print of her own.
Show inspiration: “I've decided to take the floral inspiration to the next level. My collection is more of a structured delicateness ... a fresh feel of spring.”
Collection must-have: A purple color-blocked peplum dress with a square neckline.
Designer idols: Christian Cota, Valentino, Josie Natori, Lawrence Xu and Marissa Webb.
Fixing fashion: “I think a lot of people take fashion for granted by thinking that less is more. Fashion is not about how much skin you show, it's about how you show it. It's about being sexy in a sophisticated way. I'd fix it by just showing what key pieces work best for the individual.”
Ambition: “My goal is to become a costume designer for fiction and nonfiction movies and television series. I'd love to do custom designs for red carpet or music award events.”
Valerie J. Perez
At 28, Perez has a bachelor's in fashion design and merchandising from IADT. Last year she participated in IADT's student designer fashion week showcase, “Illuminate.” In 2011, she also showed a collection in IADT's “Imagine” show.
Collection's name: “Holi en Fleur.” Fabrics include silk chiffon, silk crêpe de chine, merino-silk yarn, glass seed beads and hand-pieced chiffon flower accents.
Show inspiration: “My collection was inspired by the vibrant colors of the Hindu festival of Holi, which signifies the beginning of the spring season. This celebration is marked by colored powder that is traditionally made from the pigments of local flora.”
Collection must-have: A merino-silk blend, hand-knitted raglan sweater with glass bead accents. “The yarn feels luxurious next to the skin and is light enough for a spring night out.”
Designer idols: “Valentino Garavani because of his strong aesthetic for beauty and femininity, attention to detail and refusal to compromise his vision.”
Fashion's influence: “Fashion can transform a person's self perception. When you put on a garment that makes you forget your flaws and allows you to feel like your best self — that is powerful!”
mquintanilla@express-news.net
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