AAU_hyo_sun_nicky_an_F1014Hyo Sun (Nicky) An
MFA in Fashion Design, Academy of Art University

DALLAS, Mar 21, 2010 / FW/ — If someone told you that fashion design is driven by mathematics, will you agree? There are probably a million and one opinions on this question, but only two real answers, a yes or a no. MFA graduate Hyo Sun (Nicky) An believes it is.

Inspired by the “Klein’s bottle” which in mathematics is a non-orientable surface, with no distinct inner and outer sides. It was first postulated and described in 1882 by German mathematician Felix Klein.

For Nicky, the idea is to design a garment that has no boundary. Hence for her graduation collection she created volume with folds.

Explaining her concept, Nicky said, “I constructed the bottom to meet with the lining inside to hold the shape. I used the same draping techniques for the shapes of the collars. The collar has volume on the center front, comes out from the inside, and goes into the bottom of the coat.”

“For the more constructed looks, I used wool. For the strips, which needed to be light in weight for movement, I used rayon jersey,” she added.

A native of Korea, Hyo Sun (Nicky) An graduated from Sa-jick High School in Busan in 2003, and in 2007, received her BFA in Fashion Design from Ewha Women’s University in Seoul. Nicky then decided to pursue her MFA in Fashion Design at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California.

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

New York Fashion Week Fall 2010