House of Lubin


Scene: The Fashion Design Program of Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) New York City Presentation at Lubin House, the University’s New York City home on East Sixty-First Street between Madison and Fifth Avenues. Models above are wearing Senior Designer Khari Walser’s collection.

The recent event featured the top juried senior collections with the leadership of Todd Conover, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator Fashion Design, and Jeffrey Mayer, Professor Fashion Design and Stylist for this event. The Senior Fashion Designers that participated this year were: Laura Fidati, Marissa Mariscal, Krysta Nelson, Simon Perez, Natalie Puma, Khari Walser, and Wendy Zhang.

The presentation also featured designs by Junior Fashion Designers for Fashion Without Limits, which is an initiative that promotes the creation of size 12+, an inclusive fashion movement. It is a partnership with Model, Entrepreneur, and Alumna Emme ’85 and Wolf Form Company Inc.


Scene: From the collection of Senior Designer Khari Walser.


Scene: From the collection of Senior Designer Wendy Zhang.


Scene: Todd Conover, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator Fashion Design, and Senior Designer Khari Walser’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designer Wendy Zhang’s collection.


Scene: Krysta Nelson, Senior Designer, with models wearing her collection.


Scene: Kent Syverud, Chancellor and President, Syracuse University, his wife Dr. Ruth Chen, an accomplished environmental toxicologist and Professor of Practice at Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Emme, Model and Entrepreneur.


Scene: Dr. James Fathers, Director of School of Design, and Suzanne Bartlett, Administrative Specialist, Department of Design, Fashion Design. Always a special thanks to Suzanne for her continued involvement!


Scene: Aly Mason, Events Manager Lubin House, and Alumna Hanna Bird, Account Management Coordinator at LeadDog Marketing Group.


Scene: Alumnae Aimee Mercure and Miranda Watson.


Scene: Senior Designer Marissa Mariscal’s collection.


Scene: Senior Fashion Designers Laura Fidati, Simon Perez, Wendy Zhang, Krysta Nelson, and Marissa Mariscal.


Scene: Senior Designer Khari Walser, Fashion Design major with a minor in Drama, with models wearing his collection.


Scene: Fashion Without Limits, a Junior Fashion Design Project. Emme, Model and Entrepreneur, with dresses designed by Jakia Nur – blue dress, Rukeyah Primus – black dress, and Carol Niyonzima – green dress.


Scene: Junior Fashion Design Project. Dresses designed by Shuijing Fan, Andrianna Gyamfi, and Weiting Zhang.


Scene: Junior Fashion Design Project. Dresses designed by Courtney Capazzi, Routing Xu, and Helena Elston.


Scene: Simon Perez, Senior Designer, with models wearing his collection.


Scene: Victor Costa c.1989 black lace cocktail dress from the Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection. Jeffrey Mayer is the curator of the collection.

Scene: Jeffrey Mayer, Professor Fashion Design and Stylist for the event, and Penny Payne, Fabric and Notions Editor of the McCall Pattern Company, which includes Butterick, McCall’s, and Vogue Patterns.


Scene: Beauties. The Senior Designer Fashion Presentation was worn by models from Fenton Models.


Scene: Alumnae Miranda Watson, Shannon Gately, (Christa Guzewski), Lung Ung, and Jasmine Kim. The bag Jasmine is carrying talks about the College of Visual and Performing Arts Study Abroad Program. A direct placement program with the London College of Fashion offers students majoring in fashion design a professional semester in London, England, during their junior year. In addition to classes they would normally take on the SU campus, students take courses in such areas as millinery design, shoe design, and electronic machine embroidery.


Scene: Accessory Design, generated via applying narrative and memory to a found object. Todd Conover, Instructor. Designers from left to right: Kerry Phelan, Brittany Hicks, Lawren Capelletti, Rachel Wilkinson, Alex Kravitz, Serra Benedetto, Jakia Nur, Fellicia Underwood, and Allie Woja.


Scene: Dr. James Fathers, Director of School of Design, with models wearing Senior Designer Laura Fidati’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designer Natalie Puma’s collection.


Scene: Sally Tomkins, Visiting Lecturer, in conversation with models wearing Krysta Nelson’s collection.


Scene: Dr. Ruth Chen, Professor of Practice at Syracuse University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science, and Lauren Cramer, a University Trustee and Chair of the College of Visual and Performing Arts Advisory Council.


Scene: Anna Chae, Coordinator of Education + Professional Development at CFDA. Anna’s current role focuses on the CFDA’s programs/awards that are geared towards emerging designers.

From the Sue Ann Genet Costume Collection, left, Ostrich Feather Coat American c.1975 worn by Francesca Transom Forte. She was a Fulbright Scholar while at Syracuse University and roomed with author Sylvia Plath. As an actress Francesca created the ingenue rolls in Auntie Mame  and Sweet Bird of Youth.


Scene: John Paul Rangel, Artist, Designer, and Metalsmith, based in Santa Fe, New Mexico.


Scene: Senior Designer Laura Fidati’s collection.


Scene: Beauty note.


Scene: Alumnae Tiffany Wu and Jasmine Kim.


Scene: Dr. James Fathers, Director of School of Design, and Tracy Tajbl, Assistant Dean for Advancement.


Scene: Alumnae Linda Kesteg and Jodie Feldman.


Scene: Carol Toscano and Ben Sanders.


Scene: Jeffrey Mayer, Professor Fashion Design, and Todd Conover, Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator Fashion Design, with models wearing Senior Designer Khari Walser’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designers Krysta Nelson, Simon Perez, and Wendy Zhang in foreground. Dante Baldachin, and Alumna Shannon Gately in background.


Scene: Catherine Schuller, Guest Advisor on Junior Project, Fashion Without Limits, admiring Bill Blass 1995 silk taffeta evening gown. The sample was worn on the runway by Kristen McMenamy. I had the opportunity to work with Kristen on one of my client projects.


Scene: Beauties.


Scene: Marissa Marshal, Senior Designer, with models wearing her collection.


Scene: The hair and make-up crew: Stacy, Coco, Ryan, Angela, and Jacqueline. Ryan Taniguchi hair team; and Angela Di Carlo makeup team.


Scene: Senior Designer Khari Walser’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designer Wendy Zhang’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designer Simon Perez’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designer Krysta Nelson’s collection.


Scene: Senior Designer Simon Perez and Alumnus Lung Ung.


Scene: Kimberly Jimenez, TRUE Model Management , with plus size models who wore dresses from the Junior Fashion Design Project, Fashion Without Limits.


Scene: Khari Walser, Senior Designer, with his parents Ardie Walser and Pat Phillips, and models wearing his collection.


Scene: Alumnae Avery Gray, Shannon Gately, Miranda Watson, Lung Ung, Ron Curaizaca, Lizzie Rosin, and Brittany Blythe. I am also an alumus of Syracuse University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts.


Scene: Senior Designer Khari Walser’s collection.


Scene: House of Lubin.


Scene: Krysta Nelson, Senior Designer, and her Dad, Jim, leaving the scene.