Twelve senior fashion designers to show collections at VPA New York City gala May 19

Tickets now available for reception and fashion show; $44 special pricing for young alumni and current students

The College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) has announced that 12 senior fashion design students will have their senior collections shown at the college’s New York City gala on Thursday, May 19, at 6 p.m. at JPMorgan Chase, One Chase Manhattan Plaza, 60th floor.

The 12 collections were chosen from those of the entire fashion design Class of 2011 by a jury of industry professionals and VPA faculty and staff. The selected designers are Morgan Julia Bisignano, Marteal Boniello, Sara Louise Coccioletti, Torrey Hancock, Syreeta Chantal Herbert, LaTimberly Simone Johnson, Leilani Maldonado, Andrea McInnes, Hannah Slocum, Dayna Shay Teitelbaum, Naomi Tilewick and Jocelyn Trotta.

VPA has held a New York City fashion show for the top senior collections since 2008 to showcase the high quality of design and craftsmanship created at SU to designers and the media in New York.

The gala includes a 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. fashion show at One Chase Manhattan Plaza, followed by an 8:30 p.m. benefit dinner for the college at the Vault at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse, 25 Broad St.

Vanessa Williams ’85, an alumna of VPA’s Department of Drama, will receive the college’s 2011 Icon of Style Award. The event will also honor JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chief Administrative Officer Frank Bisignano, who will receive the college’s Dean’s Award of Distinction. Special guests for the evening are SU men’s basketball Hall of Fame coach Jim Boeheim and his wife, Juli.

Tickets are $95 for general admission to the reception and fashion show only, and $44 for general admission to the reception and fashion show only for SU alumni who graduated from ’02-’11 and current SU students. A limited number of $500 gala tickets, which include prime seating at the fashion show and benefit dinner, are still available. Tickets may be purchased online at http://invite.syr.edu/vpafashionshow or by contacting Cynthia Jones at (315) 443-7095.

Focused on design and creative development, VPA’s fashion design program offers an intellectually stimulating environment with a global perspective. This, coupled with practical and theoretical skills, technology and the study of the cultural context in which fashion exists, provides a broad-based education in fashion. Notable alumni from SU and the fashion design program include Betsey Johnson, Donald Brooks, Tom and Linda Platt, Stephanie Solomon, Emme, Henry Grethel, Lisa Kline and Danna Weiss.
Learn more about the gala at http://vpa.syr.edu/nycgala2011.