Austin Fashion Week debuted its ninth year of runway shows on Thursday May 18 at 8pm in the main ballroom of the J.W. Marriot in downtown Austin. In a partnership with Fashion X, the event featured a diverse collection of designers, with categories including Stars, 512, Discover, Capsule and Gallery. ORANGE could not miss out on the fashion, fierceness and fun, and we have compiled a list of our favorite 5 runway shows from each evening for our audience unable to attend.
Story by Ethan Elkins
Photos courtesy of Carlos Barron
UT Apparel Design Seniors
The recent UT graduates showcased their bridal looks, which first debuted at the Synthesis fashion show at the Frank Erwin Center in April. Each designer’s interpretation of ideal wedding attire differed greatly, from a t-shirt top reading “Starter Marriage” to elaborate trains. Stand-out pieces were Hailey Sellars’ Shakespeare-esque dress and Dee Ting’s elaborately structured black and white gown.
Rong Zhang
After opening the show with a sky-blue print dress, Rong Zhang dazzled the runway with an array of vibrant colors. A black and white plaid motif framed the show, composing different articles of clothing in each look. A stand-out piece was a green-striped look with a fur jacket and ornate lace.
This is Sloane
Always memorable at Austin Fashion Week, Sloane Lenz stole the night with an all-new planetary and metallic concept. Each model wore an embellished germ mask, which was the most daring styling choice of the evening. Many pieces included stitched wording with play phrases such as, “I don’t do drugs. I am drugs.”
Ballet Austin
In conjunction with its association to “style-setter” philanthropist of the evening Ana Ruelas, the inclusion of Ballet Austin bridged a new sector of garment creation to Fashion X’s annual event: costume design. Dancers from the shows “Belle REDUX” and “The Magic Flute” modeled their own elaborate costumes on the runway to showcase not only their own talent, but also that of the garments’ designer, Susan Branch Towne.
Shaly Guo
The Beijing-native designer brought her impeccable garment structuring to the Austin Fashion Week runway stage. Elements of many of the garments were almost computer-like and could have even been 3D printed. The collection also included numerous vibrant mesh prints with recurring patterns, as well as striped suiting.
To learn more about these featured designers and visit their websites, click here.
