Animal print silk top and structured pants exhibited designer's tailoring skills.

This feminine dress set the tone for the beginning of the show.

The crowd looks on as a model takes a turn on the runway.

A menswear look

Kiwi Time plays while a model dons a striped blue and grey sheathe on stage

For proof that fashion can be about more than looking good, look no further than Designing for a Difference, a student-organized fashion show held this past Saturday evening at the African American Cultural Center. Its goal? To raise money for much-needed sewing machines and supplies for San Francisco State University design students.

Even better: the students involved in the show weren’t raising funds for themselves, but those who’ll be in their shoes:

A trio of looks face the audience during the fashion show

Shift dress meets sculptural shoulders on the runway

Student designer, Jonathan Cheung, explained, “the graduating designers who showed their final collections tonight are raising money for future students in the program, not ourselves. So that, in itself, is making a difference.”

Participating designers Rebecca Cahua, JaEvon A. Marshall, Angela Wolverton, Jackie Truong, Myrelle Oliver, Jonathan Cheung, Amy Dorie and Regan Elisabeth Heath each delivered four to eight looks for the show using pieces from their final collections. All aimed to show contemporary looks that incorporated each designer’s individuality.

The fashion show kicked off with student band Kiwi Time, which had the audience members packing the venue dancing in their chairs with its alluring tunes and animated stage presence.

Next, models took to the stage in flirty cocktail dresses, 40′s inspired hemlines and printed menswear with edgy prints and studded detailing.  The post-show soiree included a meet and greet with designers, delicious cupcakes and a raffle to complete the evening.

“Seeing the outcome of the event and the efforts displayed by the designers, sponsors, volunteers come together for an amazing night was the best part of planning the show. Next year will be even better,” described show founder and coordinator Rebecca Cahua.

Model and designers Myrelle Oliver and Rebecca Cahua, post-show.

Photography by Dan Young

More San Francisco fashion shows…

Our very-visual, (almost) chatter-free snap judgment of the day: the casual cool of the slouchy, ready-for-the-weekend women’s striped infinity scarf, $38, by San Francisco-based Marine Layer.

More snap judgments…

Deanna Pei-Ju Lo

Deanna's subtle tomboy feel is self-described as “a modern Teddy Boy.” Soft, luxurious fabrics such as lambskin, silk organza and cotton velvet add a subtle femininity to the collection.

Jade Juanyu Liu

Jade' s prior experience working as a pattern maker for gr.dano is easy to see through her innovative construction. Her collection was inspired by the French collage artist Damien Blottiere, known for a unique layering technique that creates shadows and empty space.

Donghyuk Dan Kim

When designing his collection, Kim chose a color palette inspired by the military and employed themes from the American West. His prior experience as assistant pattern maker to Bay Area designer Bacca da Silva shines through with his innovative tailoring.

Xiang Zhang

Zhang's collection utilizes delicate fabrics such as silk, mohair and cashmere. His designs are inspired by Plato's understanding that the highest form of beauty can be explained by the principles of mathematics.

Amy Bond

Hailing from Pocatello, Idaho, Amy completed the MFA Fashion Design program online. Her collection was inspired by complex shapes in which she juxtaposes the use of lightweight and unique fabrics.

Jeanette Au

Jeanette incorporates mohair, wool, synthetic yarns and metallic threads into her knit fabrics. Her blend of color and texture was motivated by by Sergei Diagliav’s Ballet Russe and the paintings of Leon Bakst.

Wu Di

Wu's collection uses geometric shapes that are inspired by printmaker Aaron Coleman. She reinforces asymmetric silhouettes and bold patterns with her use of cashmere knits and double-faced wool.

Kate Y.K. Lee

Kate's Fall 2012 collection is inspired by the sculptural elements of architecture and features rounded silhouettes offset by defined lines and sharp, angled seams.

Farida Khan

While her collection has not yet been released, Farida completed the MFA program online while residing in Doha, Qatar. She honed her design skills working as an assistant designer at Ali Khan and as a technical designer at the Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. Her highly anticipated womenswear collection is inspired by the idea of unconventional beauty. She constructed bold silhouettes using wool, cotton, coated denim, polyurethane and punched leather.

Since 2005, AAU has selected its best and brightest graduating M.F.A. students to showcase their collections on the catwalk. These students have gone on to win coveted C.F.D.A. scholarships and launch their own fashion lines. Watch the AAU fashion show live here on February 10 at 5 p.m.

Photography by Bob Toy

More San Francisco fashion news…

A brand new reason to look forward to the latter half of the year came this week when much-loved independent San Francisco fashion label gr.dano dropped shots of its latest collection on us. With the gr.dano Fall/Winter ’12 collection, prepare for the same sophisticated draping and architectural details designers Jill Giordano and Brian Scheyer are known for, but with a youthful edge and pops of color that provide a refreshing departure from their previous work. The inspiration? The iconic Daphne Guinness.

Pieces ranging from work-appropriate pants and skirts to edgier pieces with cut-out shoulders aim to channel the “unique boldness, agelessness, glamour and confidence” Guinness is known for, Giordano and Scheyer say, while sticking to the wearable, predominately neutral-hued roots of the brand. Among our favorite are a white, belted jacket with futuristic undertones, a long belted dress with long sleeves and a dramatic v-neck and an asymmetrical top with a drapey neckline.

More San Francisco fashion news…

1. Independent Fashion Blogger Conference, February 8, 2012 at Milk Studios, NYC

IFB Con 2012 takes places on Feb. 8 in New York

For evidence that fashion bloggers have become a marketing force to be reckoned with, watch the IFB Conference live. You’ll spot some of the fashion industry’s best and brightest personalities come together to discuss issues, challenges and  trends facing fashion bloggers and the brands they work with, as well as the changing the landscape of fashion and social media today.

2. Polyvore LIVE presented by CoverGirl , February 13, 2012 at La. Venue, NYC

Polyvore LIVE is being billed as the world's first fashion show by an online fashion community.

Polyvore, an online community that promotes the “democracy of fashion,” is showcasing four alumni collections by graduates of the Fashion Institute of Technology. Instead of a flurry of fashion models strutting down the catwalk, the collections will be modeled by a select group of fashion bloggers, who will be announced one week prior to the show on polyvore.com.

3. Academy of Art MFA Fashion Show,  February 10, 2012 at The Lincoln Center.

Models & Designers backstage at 2011 show.

On Feb. 10, San Francisco’s own Academy of Art showcases the collections of its best M.F.A. fashion design graduates. It is the only fashion school to show at NYFW, and, last year, three students took home Council of Fashion Designers of America scholarships. Make sure not to miss these talented up-and-coming designers: the Academy of Art Fashion Show livestream starts at 5 p.m. on Feb. 10.

4. BlacMéra by Yuliana Candra at Couture Fashion Week, February 17, 2012 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. 

Designers displaying the highest level of American craftsmanship in apparel showcase at Couture Fashion Week, and we are absolutely thrilled that San Francisco based designer Yuliana Candra is showing her brand, BlacMéra. A sight to behold, Candra’s gowns impress with hand embroidery, beading and crystal work, while her silk tunics are hand-painted, layer by layer, with depictions of images Candra’s shot on her travels around the world. While this is the only event on our list that is not streamed live, couture fans can view images from the web that are sure to be uploaded by the fleet of smart phones in attendance.

Now you have something more to look forward to than the usual online blow out of models, celebs and socialites running from show to show in designer duds. Happy #NYFW, San Francisco!

More San Francisco fashion news…