iACADEMY, together with Panasonic Manila Fashion Festival (PMFF), one of the biggest fashion festivals in the country, hosted the first-ever “Fashion Forward”, a student-led fashion show featuring the collections of the AB Fashion Design and Technology Graduating Class of 2019 at EDSA Shangri-La.
iACADEMY’s “Fashion Forward” showcased indigenous textiles, unique patterns, and future-ready collections that both the college and senior high school graduates conceptualized and produced themselves.
The fashion show was put up as the final output for their Project-Based learning and college theses, showcasing a total of 50 looks, 30 distinct designs from the graduating college students and 20 unique looks from the graduating senior high school students.
For his welcome remarks, Mr. Eli Gonzales, Chairperson of iACADEMY’s Fashion Design and Technology program, gave his speech, dedicating it to the power of fashion, stating that “that transformative power of design is what we carry in iACADEMY”.
Fashion Forward started off with the senior high school students’ designs and ended with the collections of the 6 students of the college graduating class. Each senior high student had one to two looks while each college student had a collection of 5 designs, all making use of various prints, patterns, and styles to showcase what it means to push fashion forward.
Because iACADEMY is known for its high-tech and unique approach to teaching, Gonzales gave light to how technology is used within their program. “We are infusing a lot of different techniques that involve technology. For example, printing, using school materials… so we really focus on the technology, as well as the sustainability part.”
iACADEMY senior high school student Latisha Tan talked about the challenges they faced when creating designs. “It’s very challenging po for us kasi it’s our first show po as a designer pero sobra pong parang nakaka-overwhelm… We got to show na even if we’re just senior high school students, we got to showcase our talents and also embrace sustainability.”
Another student, Emanuel Riñoza, added that because the fashion industry is a major contributor to pollution, it’s important to be resourceful and versatile with their work.
When asked about what this collaboration between iACADEMY and PMFF means for their fashion design students, Miss Vanessa Tanco, President and CEO of iACADEMY, said, “It’s really the biggest fashion show in the Philippines so even as early as high school and college, [the students] are able to showcase their works with the top designers in the Philippines.”
She had also mentioned how proud she was of the students, the Game Changers, she called them, and noted that since the school had started offering a Fashion Design and Technology program, the students have all “unleashed their creative expertise and passion for fashion”.
This year’s show is the biggest fashion show that iACADEMY’s put up, and according to Gonzales, the students exceeded their expectations when it comes to producing these collections.
For more information about iACADEMY’s AB Fashion Design and Technology program, visit www.iacademy.edu.ph.
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