On Tuesday, May
16, the Asia Society hosted an award ceremony for up-and-coming
young designers from the Fashion Institute of Technology.
This unusual collaboration
between two such different New York institutions has developed
around the Asia Society's celebration of Philippine culture
this season. Seeking a contemporary complement to its exhibition
of nineteenth-century Philippine clothing (which was on
view at the Grey Art Gallery), the Society teamed up with
FIT to ask young designers to interpret traditional designs
and produce truly contemporary styles out of traditional
Philippine fabrics.
With the help of
Asia Society Trustees Josie C. Natori and Doris Magsaysay
Ho, the exhibition "Philippine Style 2000" resulted,
bringing to reality the designs of twenty FIT students,
whose work is now on view alongside ensembles by award-winning
designers from the Philippines. The exhibition opened at
the Asia Society at Midtown on April 11 and will run through
June 10. It includes complete outfits, accessories and textile
design.
Visitors to the
exhibition were asked to vote for their favorites in a comment
book, while the official judges are Ms. Josie Natori, founder
and CEO of the Natori company, and Vishakha N. Desai, Senior
Vice President of the Asia Society and Director of the Galleries
and Cultural Programs. First, Second and Third prizes, which
are hoped to help advance the careers of exceptionally promising
young fashion designers, consist of an honorarium and citation.
Winners are: For Surface Design, 1st place--Keiko Otake,
2nd place--Erin Lynch, and 3rd place--Juan Loo; for Apparel,
1st place--Karina Feliz, 2nd place--Sun Kyung Lee, and 3rd
place--Juri Yung; for Acessories, 1st place--Suzy Hara and
Honorable Mentions for the other three designers.
Awards were presented
at a ceremony beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 16,
at the Asia Society at Midtown, 502 Park Avenue (at 59th
Street).
