Otis College of Art and Design 30th annual scholarship benefit and fashion show, featuring 70 professional models and performers in almost 200 fashion and costume designs (L.A.’s largest annual runway show) from the Otis College fashion design department was a visual sensation.
The Junior and Senior classes produced the designs under the mentorship of the best names in the industry, most of whom attended the event. Mentors included; Todd Oldham, David Meister, Michael Maccari of Armani Exchange, Liliana Casabal of Morgane Le Fay, Ame Austin Max of MaxStudio, costume designer Dominique Lemieux of Cirque du Soleil, organic fashion pioneer Karen Stewart of Stewart + Brown, and swimwear designers Rod Beattie and Red Carter plus head designers from top names Nike and Anthropologie.
Eight hundred guests attended the black-tie dinner gala, which included an auction featuring student art and one-of-a-kind designs, an awards presentation, and a spectacular fashion show of student designs, all held in the International Ballroom of The Beverly Hilton Hotel. Since the inaugural fashion show in 1983, this annual fundraising event has raised a combined total of over $25 million for art and design scholarships to L.A.’s first independent art institute, founded in 1918.
This event honored the 2012 recipients of the Otis design awards, recognizing individuals and companies who have made an impact through art and design. Christopher Wicks, designer and founder of the fashion label English Laundry, accepted the 2012 Otis Creative Vision Award. The evening also honored Rosemary Brantley, founding chair of the Otis Fashion Design program, and Elaine Goldsmith, Otis Trustee Chair Emerita and founding chair of this annual Otis Scholarship Benefit. The 2012 Otis Scholarship Benefit event chair was Shelley Reid of MGM Studios. Over $1.1 million dollars was raised at this year’s event.
Other notable attendees: costume designer Bob Mackie, Cameron Silver of Decades, designer Trina Turk, designer Leon Max, designer Scott Williams of Nike, Ryan Hurley of Hurley, Roxy and Kristi McKnight of Quiksilver. Plus Agapi Stassinopolous of Huffington Post, Stephen Jarchow of Regent Entertainment, Winifred Neisser of SONY Pictures Television, Claudia Teran of Fox Networks Group, David Wisnia of CBS Television, Russell Goldsmith of City National Bank, Bettye Dixon of Concourse Concessions, Art Coppola of Macerich, interior designer Kirk Nix, architect Fred Fisher, architect Steven Ehrlich, Carolyn Mahboubi of Gucci, Ariela Shani of Neiman Marcus, Adrianne Zarnegin of Beverly Hills, Christine Chiu of Beverly Hills, Mandy and Cliff Einstein, Angela Rich, Thom Miller of City National Bank, and Otis College President Samuel Hoi.
For more information on Otis: http://www.otis.edu/sbs
