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Faculty Rock The Runway at Austin Fashion Week

Austin Fashion Week 2017 ran from May 12-21 and our Faculty were busy storming the runway with their creations!

First up was “Zen Chicken Couture” from Honoria Starbuck. Honoria's zen chickens painted on silk were incorporated into high fashion looks by Henry Tarin at Big Bertha's Paradise. They walked, or rather, squawked the Austin Fashion Week runway on Saturday evening at the J.W. Marriott in downtown Austin. Here is Honoria modelling the pin-basted prototype in the vintage-meets-avant garde design process:

Here is a photo of the styled look that Henry Tarin himself designed for Austin Fashion Week. The look is made of two zen chicken appliquéd ponchos, one used as a skirt and the other under a deconstructed white net jacket. The hat is a reconfigured decorative bird cage.

Also on display at Austin Fashion Week was Nina Means from our Fashion department. She was able to have some current Ai Austin students assist backstage and, as a personal highlight, she was the recipient of Bernina Fashion Fund Award. BERNINA of America, the premier manufacturer of sewing, embroidery and quilting machines, recognized Nina Means as the 2017 BERNINA Fashion Fund Recipient at Saturday night’s Austin Fashion Week Runway Show.  During the event, Nina was presented with a BERNINA 560 (B 560) sewing machine, a value of $3,399.  The BERNINA Fashion Fund is a partnership between BERNINA and Austin Fashion Week that was established in 2014 to support local emerging designers who show incredible talent. 

"It's our pleasure to present Nina Means with a BERNINA 560," said Amy Sherfinski, Director of Marketing for BERNINA of America.  "This 5 Series machine offers designers a wide variety of features and functions including an optional embroidery module and compatibility with BERNINA's cutting-edge DesignWorks Software Suite."

"I am so grateful to BERNINA for having chosen me as the 2017 BERNINA Fashion Fund Recipient and am honored to receive the BERNINA 560 sewing and embroidery machine," said Nina Means.  "I’m excited to start using my new BERNINA and experience, first-hand its many features.  I’m confident that it will support my future collection endeavors perfectly."

Get to know Nina and Austin Fashion Week co-founder in this video interview from We Are Austin.