One of my favorite fashion designers, I was first introduced to Julian Louie's work through a talented architect and friend of mine. Appealing to the architecture and fashion obsessed side of me, its no wonder he studied to become an architect before transferring into a fashion design program...and it shows beautifully. His designs play with structure, layering, color and pattern and the result is mind-blowing. This debut collection was inspired by Santa Cruz surf culture and Tiepolo's "Perseus & Andromeda." He uses silk faille and neoprene to create, what one critique called, "Baroque Athleticism." :: sigh :: — T.F.