Idyllwild Arts Academy (IAA) has announced the hiring of fashion designer Kentaro Kameyama as chair of the new Fashion Design Department. The position commences this fall. Kameyama, the winner of season 16 of Lifetime’s Emmy-nominated series “Project Runway,” will be living between Hollywood and Idyllwild so he can teach his classes in person.
PHOTO COURTESY OF IDYLLWILD ARTS
In his new role, Kameyama is determined to help foster the next generation of fashion talent. He earned a teaching certification in his native Japan, and the demonstration class he taught as part of IAA’s job interview process in April was hugely popular with students.
According to Abbie Bosworth, chair of InterArts and Fashion at Idyllwild Arts, “We chose him for the position of fashion chair because of his conviction that he can inspire and mentor young people in their journey to success in the fashion industry. He has launched his own fashion company and is excited to share his knowledge and experience with our students …
“Kentaro has a charming and humble personality. His extensive background as a trained classical pianist makes him a great fit for Idyllwild Arts as he has experience collaborating across art forms. When searching for a fashion chair I felt that we needed someone with an understanding of more avant-garde or conceptual fashion to balance our already practical and industry-savvy fashion faculty. We felt Kentaro would be able to connect our students with internships, masterclasses and other opportunities in the contemporary professional world of fashion.”
Kameyama’s decision to teach at a high school — even one as renowned as IAA — would not have been anticipated by other members of fashion’s “‘in” crowd but Kameyama stated, “I’m not interested in the idea that people have about a fashion designer’s cool lifestyle. I want to inspire young people, like my teachers inspired me. You know, I hold several degrees and certificates, so I’ve had the good luck to be inspired by many teachers.”
Kameyama recently showcased his new swimwear collection at Los Angeles Swim Week and is showing at Idaho Fashion Week. He will soon appear on two upcoming, fashion-focused TV shows, “House of Eleven Fashion Show” on TLC and the other, which will air on Amazon, sees Kameyama working with the first transgender model agency in the U.S.
IAA also provided answers to the Crier’s questions about the Fashion Design Department.
How long has IAA had a Fashion Design program?
2022 will be the first year that Fashion Design is offered as an official major at Idyllwild Arts, but Fashion Design classes have been available for students through the InterArts major since around 2009.
What is the core curriculum like for Fashion Design?
Fashion Design students receive in-depth, pre-professional training ranging from the basics of hand-sewing to the heights of visionary design. This multidisciplinary field includes the study of textiles and fabrics, figure drawing, color theory and rendering, body movement, performance and visual communication. Students create and assemble garments from the ground up, mastering basic techniques and learning to represent their ideas in original patterns, designs and, ultimately, a themed Senior Collection. Awareness of sustainability, the repurposing of materials and ecological awareness drive many of our group projects, field trips, masterclasses and individual designs.
Academy courses include: Beginning Fashion Design and Construction, Intermediate and Advanced Fashion Design, Fashion Illustration including Digital Textiles, Fashion Portfolio, Fashion History and Fashion Photography.
Although the department is new, IAA alumni already working in the field include Quoi Alexander, who’s had experience with Chanel; Sonia Rykiel; Alexander McQueen before he started his own label; stylist-turned-designer Paul Burgo from Factory New York; and Joshua Mann who is currently the senior design director at Michael Kors.
