Fashion Accessories Design Graduates Featured in 2020 CFDA Showcase

Collections by 2020 Fashion Accessories Design graduates Amineh Ahmad and Mariana Sanchez are featured in this year’s Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc. (CFDA) Fashion Future Graduate Showcase. Initially, the two CCS students’ work was singled out as being among the 100 best portfolios submitted. The Council has since decided, as a result of the global pandemic, to feature and celebrate all of the fashion school graduates who submitted to this year’s competition.

Among the portfolios represented are graduates from the College for Creative Studies, Pratt Institute, Rhode Island School of Design and Savannah College of Art and Design.

Amineh Ahmad, who currently works as a collections designer for the Ralph Lauren brand, will be recognized for her six-piece accessories collection “Arabesque”. According to Ahmad, the collection is inspired by the role of Muslim women in society. “The collection delves deep into the suppressed identity and individuality of Muslim women, making them invisible to society at large. These issues only become more apparent when the women begin to speak out. Arabesque explores the dichotomy between religion and culture, asking what would happen if women in these societies stood up, stood out and took back their identities.”

“Lovour (Love & Labour)” is Mariana Sanchez’s accessories collection, exploring “the journey and delusion of most immigrants, who strive for the American dream.” The collection focuses on the challenges many undocumented immigrants face when they immigrate to the United States.

According to Sanchez, who is herself an immigrant, “I want the collection to show both, the light and the dark side that reveals the reality that illegal immigrants confront when coming to the U.S. My purpose is to educate consumers by making luxurious accessories that have a strong meaning, but at the same time carry out the joyfulness of my Mexican heritage.” Pieces in Sanchez’s collection are named in the Otomi and Yaqui languages, which were spoken by Native Americans in the Mexican states, before they became a part of the United States.

Each year, fashion school graduates from across the country submit portfolios for consideration in the prestigious annual showcase. For the first time, and in lieu of the traditional two-day Manhattan in-person event, the CFDA is featuring the showcase entirely online, giving valuable exposure and recognition to students who have recently completed fashion programs. The graduates also gain the opportunity to forge relationships with Floriane de Saint Pierre, a Paris-based recruiter.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America, Inc., is a trade association whose membership consists of nearly 500 of America’s foremost womenswear, menswear, jewelry and accessory designers. Their mission is to strengthen the impact of American Fashion in the global economy.

View the CFDA Fashion Future Graduate Showcase 2020 here.