AAU_steven_oo_F1001Steven Oo
MFA in Fashion Design and Knitwear Design, Academy of Art University

DALLAS, Mar 21, 2010 / FW/ — MFA graduate Steven Oo joins a stellar list of designers (that include the late Gianfranco Ferré) who has been influenced by architecture. For his graduation collection, Steven Oo was inspired by the work of Italian architect Massimiliano Fuksas.

Translating Fuksas’ clean lines and curves into drapes and through repetition, Steven depicted the buildings as textures and cutout details. And, just for fun, he also combined several hand and hand-machine knitting techniques to create structure, weight, ribbing, and texture in his knitwear collection.

Explains Steven, “The clean lines and graceful curves were translated into garments as I draped each of my designs. In my final collection, there are three different design elements that I have employed to tie all the pieces together.”

“The long draped curves are used around the shoulder, on the back, and on the side to create dramatic silhouettes. Each of the knit stitches has extreme textures that are balanced by the traditional rib stitch, which is recurring in each garment in a variety of ways. Lastly, cutout details from the architecture of Fuksas,” he added.

Born in Yangon, Myanmar (Burma), Steven Oo lived in Singapore from age 13-15, until his family immigrated to the U.S. He is fluent in English, Mandarin, and Burmese with knowledge of basic French and Japanese.

Though interested in fashion, he entered UC Berkeley to pursue a career in medicine, then changed his major and received a BA in Political Economy of Industrial Societies in 2007. His decision to pursue fashion led him to Academy of Art University for his MFA degree in both Fashion Design and Knitwear Design.

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

New York Fashion Week Fall 2010