Students design gowns based on old Korean hanbok - San Francisco Chronicle

Move over, Tim Gunn. Make way for Abra Berman.

In a challenge to rival any on TV's "Project Runway," the Art Institute of California and the Asian Art Museum are asking fashion students to create gowns for patrons to wear at the opening night gala for "In Grand Style - Celebrations in Korean Art in the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910)," this week.

Unlike the reality TV show, the students are not assigned to use bizarre materials like plastic garbage bags or hardware store finds for the full-length dresses.

Here, the theme is the dilemma. They're being required to make contemporary gowns inspired by the traditional Korean hanbok, a full-skirted, full-length dress with a sash tied in a bow at the chest.

The results of Project Hanbok will be unveiled when 10 museum patrons wear the gowns to the museum gala Thursday. Another four student gowns will be worn by models.

"Students typically would be doing projects based in technique - reproducing gowns by Dior and Courrèges, or the Yves Saint Laurent 'Le Smoking' pantsuit," said Berman, whose senior draping class is participating. "It made them very nervous, but it's an opportunity to make a name for themselves and get real-world experience."

Joy Boatwright, a member of the gala committee and the museum's Korean Art and Cultural Committee, is enthusiastic about sharing Korean heritage with students and stretching their imaginations. "Hanboks can be very traditional," she said, "but this is a younger committee."

Her student designer, Lucia Mendez, is familiar with folk costumes of her native Mexico, and she said an Asian Art Museum tour led by a docent wearing a hanbok was key to understanding the challenge. She had never seen a hanbok before.

"The docent said, 'The simpler, the better, with clean lines,' " said Mendez, who was so edgy before starting to sketch that she prayed for inspiration, and it came.

"I kept seeing the knot," she said. "But I wanted it to be fastened to the dress, not something you'd have to tie. You want to put on the dress and not worry about it the rest of the night."

Boatwright was immediately drawn to Mendez's sketch of a purple column gown.

"This is how I dress in evening affairs - long, fitted gowns," Boatwright said. "It looked like me. It looked regal, and that is the era of the dynasty."

Carolyne Zinko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: czinko@sfchronicle.com