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Interior Design Grad Leslie Parraguire is the subject of an interesting article in the Las Vegas Business Press. Her firm, Colours Inc., has been in business for more than 20 years.
The Vegas native, who serves as president of the company, has built a solid reputation as one of Nevada's finest and most prestigious interior design firms.
Click here to read the full story!
Awards season is in full swing! At last night's SAG Awards in Los Angeles, Desperate Housewives actress Teri Hatcher and The Wrestler star Evan Rachel Wood both donned gowns from FIDM Grad Monique Lhuillier.
Hatcher chose a dramatic, architectural white gown that caused a stir on the red carpet outside the Shrine Auditorium.
Meanwhile, Presenter Wood went with a rich jewel tone one-shoulder number that was reminiscent of Old Hollywood. The young star made numerous best dressed lists. -- Victoria
Several hundred fashion fans, along with California Senator Dianne Feinstein, FIDM Director Norine Fuller, San Francico Mayor Gavin Newsom, Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, California
congressman Jim Costa, and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, turned out for a Sunday afternoon fashion show at the Ritz-Carlton, Washington DC for The Presidential Inaugural Luncheon and Fashion Show.
Emceed by FIDM Grad and Instructor Nick Verreos (Project Runway), the annual event was hosted by the California State Society of Washington, DC and FIDM. Guests were treated to runway selections from FIDM Grads such as Verreos, Leanne Marshall, and Kevan Hall.
The FIDM Museum & Galleries' popular 17th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition opened on Saturday night. Over 150 FIDM Grads, including Kevan Hall, Nick Verreos, Estevan Ramos, Daniel Caudill, and Suzy Magnin, and their guests attended the event, along with industry notables. "It was our biggest opening to date," said Exhibition Coordinator Michael Black. Alumni Relations Director Nathalie Holtzman added, "It was a spectacular evening and great to see all the grads!"
Costumes featured in this year's exhibition include Academy Award Best Costume Design nominees The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, The Duchess, and Milk, as well as Doubt, The Dark Knight, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, and so many more--over 22 movies in all!
The free exhibition runs through March 29, 2009. Group Tours are available. Visit the FIDM Museum & Galleries online for more information. --Kim
As part of the "Runway to Change" initiative, more than 10 American designers have created official merchandise to support the
cost of the inauguration festivities that took place yesterday.
The designer merchandise includes tote bags, a scarf, and t-shirts, including the one at left by the two women behind Juicy Couture, Gela Taylor and FIDM Grad Pamela Skiast-Levy.
Other designers include Zac Posen, Donna Karan, Narciso Rodrieguez, and Diane von Furstenberg.
The collection is available at the Presidential Inaugural Store at 625 E Street Northwest in Washington through today.
Some of the collection will also be available here through February -- though Juicy's appears to have already sold out! --Belissa
Good Morning America interviewed FIDM Grad Chan Luu about out how she became a jewelry and accessory designer to the stars. Watch the interview to find out which mega celebrity helped make her designs so popular. --Kim
FIDM's 17th Annual Art of Motion Picture Costume Design Exhibition opens on January 28 at the FIDM Museum & Galleries. The popular exhibition features actual costumes from the previous year's most memorable films. This year, the costumes are from a host of fabulous movies, including The Dark Knight, Elizabeth: The Golden Age, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Doubt, The Duchess, and so many more--over 22 movies in all!
We sat down with Michael Black, the Exhibition Coordinator, to find out more:
How did the annual exhibition come about?Michael: The first FIDM Museum & Galleries Director, Maggie Murray, had many good connections with costume designers, the studios, and costume rental companies. It was her idea that showcasing the work of all these talented people was a natural tie-in with FIDM.
This was initially planned as a one-time only exhibition, but proved so successful, we have now been putting it on for seventeen years. In the beginning, we showcased both current and vintage film costumes, and have expanded from one small gallery to three galleries of over 10,000 square feet.
Sixteen out of seventeen exhibitions have featured costumes from all five Academy Award(R) nominated films, which is quite a feat, as we are set up before the nominations are announced.
When do you start preparing for the exhibition?
Michael: We start planning the new exhibition as soon as new films start coming out in January. Making lists of possible films to pursue goes on all year long. Generally, we start contacting the studios around October, reminding them that our exhibition is coming up, and getting their feedback on what costumes they have available.
What is the most interesting/unusual piece in the exhibition?
Michael: Probably the elf costumes from The Spiderwick Chronicles. They are examples of work that gets done for a production but for any number of reasons do not actually make it into the final film. These costumes were requested for scenes in the film, but then as filming got under way, it was decided to go with CGI (Computer Generated Images) instead.
Are there any interesting stories you can relate about procuring the costumes or getting them ready for exhibition?
Michael: It is always a gamble going after costumes for this exhibition. Many production companies no longer have the budgets or facilities to store every costume from every film, or even key costumes from major films.
Many times, the costumes get auctioned off before we get a chance to display them. In the case of very popular films, there is increasing interest to display the costumes, so other venues may get items we would like to show and vice versa. We are very popular with the costume designers themselves, so a lot of them will work on our behalf to get what we need.
The free exhibition runs through March 29, 2009. Group Tours are available. Visit the FIDM Museum & Galleries online for more information. --Kim
FIDM Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing Grad Stephanie Marovich has the kind of career most of us only dream about.
As West Coast Account Coordinator for Shisheido Travel Retail, she's constantly jetting around the world, and when she's not, she's working from her home office.
You can find out more about Stephanie's dynamic career and how FIDM helped put her there on today's Fashion Club Daily, along with Stephanie's predictions for the future of beauty. --Belissa
FIDM Alumna Joie Rucker, Creative Director and co-founder of the two-year-old jeans label Rich & Skinny, got a mention in WWD recently on the occasion of the launch of Rich & Skinny's men's line of designer denim, to be called Rich.
“We wanted to offer all the luxury and sexiness of the women’s product, but with a really masculine feel and look,” said Rucker. “These are clean, super-comfortable jeans at a great price.” That price is said to be about $200.
Rucker, a veteran of Guess and Levi Strauss, co-founded Rich & Skinny with Michael Glasser, co-founder of premium jeans lines Seven for All Mankind and Citizens of Humanity.--Belissa
FIDM's annual DEBUT Runway Show is coming soon. The DEBUT Show features designs by graduating students from FIDM’s
Fashion Design and Theatre Costume Design Advanced Study Programs as
well as work from our Interior Design, Graphic Design, and Textile
Design Students. Find out how you can attend.
Project Runway is now filmed at FIDM. Go behind-the-scenes! 
