(09-19) 04:00 PDT New York — – The careers of 22 students from San Francisco’s famed Academy of Art University once again got a jump start at Lincoln Center during New York Fashion Week.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd of cheering fashion professionals on Sept. 10, students from the academy’s School of Fashion dared to align their work with America’s top designers.

And they met the challenge with full marks for creativity. They managed to do something that many seasoned designers have not: Their designs were fresh, new and, more important, wearable – sometimes truly elegant and, most of the time, surprisingly commercial.

For five years, the academy has showcased its star graduate students and provided them with a platform to present their work in womenswear, menswear, knitwear and textile design.

Jungah Lee kicked off the show with a collection that mixed silk, beautifully hand-painted in soft colors, with blatantly synthetic latex. The unexpected combination of fabrics added up to a subtly sophisticated effect for geometrically layered jackets, coats, overskirts and dresses.

Cara Chiappetta also worked latex into her unanticipated mixes of fabric choices, including silk, mesh, wool, nylon, tulle and jersey, often manipulated and bonded together. The resulting dresses and gowns were gracefully feminine.

Louie Llewellyn and Xiang Zhang teamed up and sent out an innovative wardrobe for young men who appreciate artistic apparel. Tailored jackets and trousers were cut with familiar yet nontraditional silhouettes. Details included geometric lapels, uneven hemlines and sharp edges. Zhang designed the knitwear executed in a time-consuming hand-twisting technique that took 50 hours per sweater.

A collaboration of 15 students studying technical, fashion and textile design produced a collection that showcased various printing motifs and techniques. They mixed samples of their myriad prints into fantasy garments often tiered, flounced and draped sideways with swatches. They were obviously just for show.

April Howard’s sophisticated collection of stretch leather and silk twill was inspired by decaying sculpture. Her deceptively simple dresses, pants and shorts were executed with a sure hand, creating organically molded shapes and draped swaths.

Camilla Olson said her collection was inspired by “Blade Runner” and samurai arts. However, the result was anything but gimmicky. Beautiful silk dresses were overlaid with delicate, lacy cage effects.

Maria Korovilas closed the show with a spectacular collection trimmed with heavy golden hexagon nuts, bolts and washers that sometimes broke free and left a glittering trail on the runway. This may sound like a bad idea, but the effect referenced the best of Parisian haute couture artistry.

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