Taking their skills from the classroom to the runway, five students and seven recent graduates of The Art Institute of New York City will present "Between the Lines," a show of collections, on Thursday, September 6, at 7 pm in The Studio at Lincoln Center in New York City.

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week will offer the students and recent graduates the opportunity to present their looks to a global audience and get a coveted glimpse at what it takes to market themselves and their designs to potential clients and buyers. 

In the company of luminaries such as Michael Kors, Vera Wang and Carolina Herrera, the students and graduates from The Art Institute of New York City will show collections of women's sportswear, contemporary looks, bridal, and eveningwear.  These designs will demonstrate the culmination of techniques learned in the classroom and brought to life by the range, vision and creativity of the young designers.

"It has been extremely gratifying to watch our students grow not only as designers and artists but also as human beings.  Some of these students began at The Art Institute of New York City having never sewn or sketched before. What an accomplishment it is for them to be showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week," said Amanda Lovell, Academic Department Chair of Fashion Design and Fashion Marketing & Merchandising at The Art Institute of New York City.

"The knowledge and confidence that our students will gain from this experience will be invaluable as they transition from novices to professionals in the fashion industry."

For the students and graduates, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week offers an unbelievable opportunity.  "I feel very grateful to The Art Institute of New York City for offering me this opportunity.  Now I know that hard work really does pay off when I see my designs going down the runway.

“It's almost unreal when I think about it.  I only came here three years ago, and I never thought something like this could happen to me," said Mariana Lopez, 2012 graduate of The Art Institute of New York City with an Associate in Applied Science in Fashion Design.

The Art Institute