SCAD presents inaugural SCAD FASHWKND with student showcases in Atlanta, Savannah

ATLANTA and SAVANNAH, Ga., May 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) presents the inaugural SCAD FASHWKND, four days of original designs curated from the finest SCAD School of Fashion senior and graduate student collections in Savannah and Atlanta, May 18–21.

As the most anticipated sartorial event of the year, SCAD FASHWKND redefines the runway. Programming will include the annual SCAD Savannah Runway Show, 7 p.m., Friday, May 19, at the award-winning SCAD Museum of Art, Alex Townsend Memorial Courtyard, and the  first SCAD Atlanta Fashion Showcase, 3 p.m., Sunday, May 21, at SCAD Atlanta.

"The world's preeminent student fashion showcase for 16 years and counting, the SCAD Savannah Fashion Show heralds the top-flight designers of fashion's future," said SCAD President and Founder Paula Wallace. "This year, the premiere of SCAD FASHWKND presents the prodigious skills of our students twofold, to audiences in Savannah and Atlanta, with a dazzling cross-city presentation of their work. It's live fashion; it's our students living their dreams; it's the very look of life in the forthcoming era."

Each year, graduating SCAD School of Fashion students in Atlanta, Hong Kong and Savannah are given the opportunity to have their work expertly critiqued by fashion industry leaders, and the university's Style Lab mentor program connects them directly with established designers as they complete their final collections. This year's Style Lab mentors include Francisco Costa, former Calvin Klein womenswear creative director; SCAD alumnus Marv Graff (M.F.A., fibers, 2016), an avant-garde fashion designer; David Ruperto, senior director of Ralph Lauren footwear; and SCAD alumna Emily Smith (B.F.A., fashion, 2001), Lafayette 148 New York creative director.

SCAD will also honor photographer and director David LaChapelle with the SCAD Étoile, presented in recognition of his global influence on fashion, film and photography. After the Étoile presentation, LaChapelle will share insight into his prolific, 30-year career. Known for his hyper-realistic aesthetic, LaChapelle playfully, yet purposefully, invokes art history, iconography and pop culture to convey profound social messages. His striking images have been featured in numerous magazines, from Vogue and Vanity Fair to GQ and Rolling Stone, and he has photographed some of the world's most recognizable faces.

The SCAD Étoile honors icons of style and design. LaChapelle joins previous SCAD Étoile honorees, including Jonathan Adler, Pierre Cardin, Graydon Carter, Linda Fargo, Pamela Fiori, Carolina Herrera, Margaret Russell, Russell Simmons and David Yurman.

SCAD has long been a destination for luminaries across disciplines to connect with emerging talent. Famed fashion designers have attended the SCAD Fashion Show to extend their valuable insights and provide students with real-world critiques. The university has taken these visits as opportunities to celebrate their remarkable work and unprecedented careers. To date, SCAD has honored fashion industry titans Manolo Blahnik, Stephen Burrows, Tom Ford, Diane von Furstenberg, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, Miuccia Prada, Oscar de la Renta, Ralph Rucci, Isabel and Ruben Toledo, Vera Wang and Vivienne Westwood.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SAVANNAH 

THURSDAY, MAY 18–FRIDAY, MAY 19
SCAD JEWELRY TRUNK SHOW
JEN LIBRARY | 201 E. BROUGHTON ST.

THURSDAY, MAY 18, 5 P.M.
SCAD Fashion and Accessory
Design Static Show opening reception
GUTSTEIN GALLERY | 201 E. BROUGHTON ST.

THURSDAY, MAY 18–SUNDAY, MAY 21
SCAD Fashion and
Accessory Design Static Show
GUTSTEIN GALLERY

FRIDAY, MAY 19, 7 P.M.
SCAD Savannah Runway Show
SCAD MUSEUM OF ART, ALEX TOWNSEND MEMORIAL COURTYARD | 601 TURNER  BLVD.
Tickets available at savannahboxoffice.com

ATLANTA

SATURDAY, MAY 20, 3 P.M.
SCAD: In Conversation with David LaChapelle
SCAD Étoile honoree
SCADSHOW | 173 14TH ST. NE

SUNDAY, MAY 21, 2:30 P.M.
SCAD Atlanta Fashion Showcase Exclusive First Look
SCAD ATLANTA | 1600 PEACHTREE ST. NW
Tickets available at scadshow.com

SUNDAY, MAY 21, 3 P.M.
SCAD Atlanta Fashion Showcase
SCAD ATLANTA
Tickets available at scadshow.com

Events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. For gallery hours and more information, visit scad.edu/fashwknd.

Follow @SCADdotedu and use #SCADFASHWKND to join the conversation via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

SCAD: THE UNIVERSITY FOR CREATIVE CAREERS
The Savannah College of Art and Design is a private, nonprofit, accredited institution conferring bachelor's and master's degrees  at distinctive locations and online to prepare talented students for professional careers. SCAD offers degrees in 43 majors, as well as minors in more than 75 disciplines across its locations in Savannah and Atlanta, Georgia; in Hong Kong; in Lacoste, France; and online through SCAD eLearning.

With more than 32,000 alumni worldwide, SCAD  demonstrates  an  exceptional  education and unparalleled career preparation. The  diverse student body, consisting of nearly 13,000, comes from across the U.S. and more than 100 countries worldwide. Each student is nurtured and moti- vated by a faculty of nearly 700 professors with extraordinary academic credentials and valuable professional experience. These professors emphasize learning through individual attention in an inspiring university environment. The innovative SCAD curriculum is enhanced by advanced professional-level technology, equipment and learning resources, and has garnered acclaim from respected organizations and publications, including 3D World, American Institute of Architects, Businessweek, DesignIntelligence, U.S. News & World Report and the Los Angeles Times.

For more information, visit scad.edu.

SOURCE Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)