Jin Kay
Seoul, South Korea
Womenswear
Designer of the Year Candidate

This collection is inspired by the book “In Praise of Shadows “ by Junichiro Tanizaki. The book was written in the 1930’s and it compares the definition of beauty between East and West. While the Western World celebrates the beauty that’s exposed and revealed, the East rejoices everything that is hidden, quiet and mysterious. This collection is a compositional analysis of all those ephemeral elements and it is an exploration of the diverse and unique qualities of shadows. The light weighted fabrics (organza and chiffon) and heavy fabrics (wool, polyester and synthetic leather) create a contrast that echoes the general idea of light and shadow.

Internships: Derek Lam/Tod’s, Oscar de la Renta, Christian Cota

Dahae Lee,
Womenswear

Sophia Aguinaga
New York, NY
Womenswear
Designer of the Year Candidate

Long fascinated by speed and aerodynamics, Sophia has chosen to focus her energies on assessing the shapes that high speeds produce when colliding with garments. Sophia employs concepts that are rooted in aerodynamic relationships. Using each collection as an opportunity to develop new skills and her understanding of new topics, Sophia immersed herself in aerodynamics, physics, auto mechanics, specialty fabrics, and even the work of Italian Futurists in order to render this collection with both sculptural and mechanical sensibilities. She scrutinized the tailored and functional construction of Formula One racing apparel and the smooth lines of concept cars, ultimately to realize that speed transmutes a distinctive force on clothing; when garments encounter high speeds, they tend to cling to the front of the human body, while billowing out in the back.

Internships/Honors: Salvatore Ferragamo Menswear Design (Florence), YMA Scholar

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