News and Media

Published: Nov 29, 2011

SAVANNAH, Georgia - The Savannah College of Art and Design has announced that fashion designers Stephen Burrows, William Calvert, Raul Melgoza and Maggie Norris will serve as the university's 2011 fashion mentors. Calvert and Norris will be working with students in Savannah while Burrows and Melgoza will be working with students in the Atlanta location.

"These designers are renown for their craftsmanship and their sophisticated style," says Dean of the School of Fashion Michael Fink. "They bring a keen eye for design balanced with the pragmatism of running successful businesses. We are thrilled that they are sharing this knowledge with our students."

Mentors are working with select SCAD fashion students in creating their senior collections, from conception to construction to styling. The final collections will be shown at the SCAD Senior Fashion Show in May of 2012.

Stephen Burrows was one of the first African-American fashion designers to achieve international acclaim. In 1970, Henri Bendel created an atelier in the basement of its store called Stephen Burrows' World. In 2002 Burrows made what New York Magazine called "one of the biggest comebacks in fashion history" with a revamped Bendel boutique and, later, Fashion Week shows. Burrows has been honored with a star on the CFDA's Fashion Walk of Fame on Seventh Avenue and in 2006 was honored with the CFDA's Board of Directors Special Tribute Award. 2011 marks his 45th year as a designer. His work as a fashion designer has been the subject of a series of retrospectives - "1940-1970's Cut and Style" and "The 1970's" in New York, and in "Back to Black: Art, Cinema, and the Racial Imaginary" in London.

William Calvert has created a couture empire established in 1998. Since 2001, his brand has evolved into a haute couture house. Previous to launching out on his own, Calvert worked for Balenciaga, Pierre Balmain and Rochas. He also developed collections for Diane Von Furstenberg and consulted for Perry Ellis Women's Coats. In 1999 he was selected for the first Moet and Chandon Designer Debut, and during the same year, received the Rising Star Award from Fashion Group International. Soon after, Calvert partnered with Melanie Fraser Hart to form Callula Lillibele, a line which embraces tradition yet enhances the female figure of all types with the overriding concept of television's popular Madmen meets 2010/2011.

Raul Melgoza was appointed creative director of Luca Luca in 2008. He joined the company in 2005 upon graduation from fashion school, working closely with Luca Orlandi and quickly rising to the position of senior designer. Melgoza's design philosophy is to transcend seasons and trends to accomplish clothing that can be worn for a lifetime. His design aesthetic is deeply rooted in classicism, yet his vision incorporates the ever-changing role of women in society. The clothing is gracefully subtle and compliments the woman's silhouette. Each design is meticulously calculated - a paradigm of perfection and elegance, yet the finished product can be worn with ease.

Maggie Norris' journey began at Ralph Lauren as a senior fashion director in charge of women's collection. Soon after her departure from Ralph Lauren, Norris moved to Europe to head up Mondi's creative direction after which she returned to America to launch Maggie Norris Couture. While couture remains an integral part of Norris' business, she also designs the Bespoke Shirting collection, a collection of ready to wear women's shirts that combine old world haberdashery with style and sophistication. In May of 2008, Norris entered the world of accessories with a line of luxury water carriers called the Aquafolio, crafted of the finest leathers with hand-casted silver buckles. Ecologically conscious, the Maggie Norris Aquafolio eliminates the need for plastic water bottles by utilizing reusable stainless steel bottles in a chic and environmentally responsible way.