To help SCAD School of Fashion students build their looks for the 2016 SCAD Fashion Show, the Style Lab mentor program afforded students the opportunity to interact with established fashion professionals. Past Style Lab mentors have included Zac Posen, Catherine Malandrino, Lars Nilsson, Yigal Azrouël, Stephen Burrows, Christian Cota, Rachel Roy, Christian Siriano and Rafé Totengco.

2016 STYLE LAB MENTORS

  • Bennett Liberty

    Read Bio

    Ben Liberty is a designer and master craftsman of fine leather goods and accessories for many of the world’s most venerable luxury brands. He began his career during the American craft movement of the 1960s, selling his designs in exclusive boutiques such as Henri Bendel. In the late 1970s, he apprenticed at German luxury accessories company Karl Seeger Lederwarenfabrik GmbH.

    Liberty, who currently lives and works in New York City, has a roster of internationally renowned clients including Carolina Herrera, BassamFellows, Sally LaPointe and Herman Miller, among others. During his 50-year career, Liberty has created limited-edition, bench-made goods for iconic fashion houses, and has ongoing relationships with Coach, Cole Haan, Tumi and Knoll. He earned an M.F.A. in art education from Clark University, and is a national juror for the American Craft Council.

  • Brandon Sun

    Read Bio

    Brandon Sun is chief executive officer and creative director of Brandon Sun, a New York City-based luxury fur and ready-to-wear label featuring garments as glamourous as they are modern. Founded in 2011 as a fur accessories line, the brand has expanded in recent years to include a range of fashion fur and outerwear. Sun was the fur division design director at Oscar de la Renta from 2009–15 and is credited with introducing a modern and fresh energy to the legendary brand. Prior to his stint at Oscar de la Renta, Sun worked at J. Mendel, where he quickly rose from assistant to designer and collaborated closely with label chief Gilles Mendel.

    A graduate of the Parsons School of Design, Sun regularly appears atop “one to watch” lists from Forbes, Refinery29, ELLE magazine, Marie Claire and many others, and has cemented himself within the industry as an expert design director, furrier and strategist. He has collaborated, designed or consulted with brands including Prabal Gurung, Alexander Wang, Thomas Wylde, Proenza Schouler, Sally LaPointe, Thakoon, David Hart, Hellessy, Adeam, Blackglama, Addison and Jocelyn.

  • Kobi Halperin

    Read Bio

    Kobi Halperin is the founder and designer of the eponymous New York City-based label known for sophisticated women’s clothing and accessories heavily influenced by the aesthetics of the designer’s past. Born in Israel, he was raised with deep Eastern European influences. Growing up, Halperin was surrounded by hand-carved, ornamented furniture, ornate tapestries and beautifully framed paintings detailed with brushed metals — intricacies that shaped his aesthetic.

    After serving as the main creative force behind luxury fashion house Elie Tahari for more than a decade, Halperin, who earned a B.F.A. from Shenkar College of Engineering and Design in Ramat Gan, Israel, became executive creative director of Kenneth Cole Productions. In fall 2015, he stepped to the forefront of the international fashion marketplace with his own luxe-bohemian womenswear line. Available at specialty retailers including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Nordstrom, his collections elevate the everyday with beautifully embellished blouses, dresses, skirts and leathers goods.

  • Rita Watson

    Read Bio

    As head designer of fashion accessories and swimwear for global lifestyle brand Kate Spade, Rita Watson directs seven design teams to perfect the brand’s playful and fresh sophistication. Watson joined Kate Spade to design ready-to-wear and fashion accessories and later shepherded the launch of the brand’s swimwear and childrenswear collections. Later this year, she will spearhead creative direction for two never-before-seen Kate Spade collections.

    Before joining Kate Spade, Watson served as an assistant designer on collaborative projects for LF USA, where she cultivated partnerships with Karl Lagerfeld, Giambattista Valli, Jason Wu, Alberta Ferretti, Doo Ri, Webster Miami and others. Watson earned a B.F.A. in fashion from SCAD. She lives and works in New York City.