News and Media

Published: Nov 10, 2009

Savannah, Ga.–Catherine Malandrino, Angel Sanchez and Tuleh’s Bryan Bradley join the Savannah College of Art and Design Style Lab in Savannah and Atlanta to mentor top student designers in the fashion department. This is the first academic year the program has been offered in the university’s Atlanta location.

“The Style Lab program and designers will challenge and influence students to develop and grow their creative thought process, preparing them for an ever-changing fashion industry that is redefining itself,” said Michael Fink, dean of the School of Fashion. “Students will learn how to design for a designer and how to focus their goals based on a given direction. Most importantly, this experience teaches them to be positive, goal-orientated thinkers akin to the objectives of the fashion department.”

Style Lab provides students with an elected mentorship program annually. Students are given access to one-on-one critiques, guidance on everything from design concept to fabric selection and finishing, and studio visits to the designer’s workspace in an off-campus trip.

The 2009 Style Lab mentors’ respective designs can be seen everywhere from the red carpet to Page Six, as they are all highly favored by the glitterati.

Catherine Malandrino arrived on the New York fashion scene with the idea of blending the romance of Paris with the energy of the Big Apple. Her eponymous designs attract a dedicated clientele among the Hollywood and New York elite. “I am designing for women who want to be remembered,” she says. Malandrino channels her energy into poetic designs that encourage women to express their personality. With a unique craftsmanship, color palette and fabric, she conveys to all women the “joie de vivre” that she values in her own life.

Bryan Bradley apprenticed in many New York fashion houses before he and then-partner Josh Patner launched Tuleh in 1998, inspired by Mary McCarthy’s Vassar girls. His designs are a blend of American sportswear and couture. By never shying away from bright colors and bold prints, Bradley has been called by his peers one of the most colorful American designers.

In 2002, Josh Patner left Tuleh, leaving Bradley with full creative rights. Since then, Bradley’s designs have evolved into a darker, more cynical style. While the change is obvious, Bradley always maintains that uptown feel to his designs. Bradley is most notably known for his elegant, yet faintly offbeat style, creating beautiful designs with dark, subversive humor. In addition to Tuleh, Bradley has launched two additional lines: Bryan by Bryan Bradley exclusively for Lord & Taylor and Bryan Bradley. Bradley’s clothes can be found in high-end department stores and boutiques all over the world.

Angel Sanchez grew up in his mother’s atelier in his native Venezuela surrounded by dress forms and fabrics. But it wasn’t until 1987, after two years as an architect, that he knew he was to become a fashion designer and returned to his roots, leading him to immediate fame throughout Latin America. Ten years later, when the company established its headquarters in New York City, Angel Sanchez eveningwear was sold in prestigious U.S. stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Bergdorf Goodman.

Today Sanchez is renowned worldwide for both bridal and eveningwear designs that reflect his architectural discipline and structure while creating new shapes and proportions that hold true to the timeless perfection of traditional couture dressmaking.

“I am very excited to be participating in Style Lab. It is such a pleasure to share the knowledge and the experience I've gained throughout my career,” said Sanchez. “I am very curious on what I will learn and discover during this process. It is a real honor!"

Style Lab will take place through spring quarter 2010, when the mentorship will culminate in several designs being featured in the annual SCAD Fashion Show. Each year at the show a designer is honored with the André Leon Talley Lifetime Achievement Award. Past recipients include Isabel and Ruben Toledo, John Galliano, Oscar de la Renta, Karl Lagerfeld, Miuccia Prada, Tom Ford and Vera Wang.

Past mentors for SCAD Style Lab include Yigal Azrouël and Lars Nilsson for the 2008-09 academic year, and Ruffian designers Claude Morais and Brian Wolk in 2007-08.

Learn more about the SCAD fashion department.