AAU_bethany_meuleners_F1022Bethany Meuleners
MFA in Fashion Design and Knitwear Design, Academy of Art University

DALLAS, Mar 21, 2010 / FW/ — Like most military kids, Bethany Meuleners had lived in more places than you can count with one hand before they turn 18. Born in West Point U.S. Army base in New York, Bethany’s eclectic upbringing in California, Nebraska, Virginia, and Germany is also seen in her choices of majors in her studies.

Before pursuing a MFA in Fashion Design and Knitwear Design at Academy of Art University, Bethany received a BS with Honors, Dual Degree in Apparel Design and Fashion Merchandising from the University of Delaware in 2005. In addition to graduating Magne Cum Laude, she studied costume design in London and International Marketing Management in Peru.

Envisioning a young girl playing dress up before going out – grabbing several different layers, throwing them on, and letting them land wherever they fell, Bethany opted for a very narrow color palette of black and burnt brown for her collection.

“I focused on combining knits and wovens into one fabric and/or garment. With a double major in Fashion Design and Knitwear Design, this naturally came into play while working on my final collection,” said Bethany Meuleners.

“My visual inspiration for my knits was derived from 3D images and futurism photo images, such as
Duchamp’s painting Nude Descending a Staircase. All of these have a theme in common: the visual effect of more than one image (sometimes the same image several times) layered on top of each other but slightly off-kilter. This worked with the combination of knits and wovens, making them into different layers but still part of the same fabric or garment,” she added.

A very tight and focused collection, Bethany Meuleners successfully incorporated both her majors into one collection.

[MARI DAVIS]
Photos by Randy Brooke, courtesy of AAU

New York Fashion Week Fall 2010