California-based women's fashion designer Pilar Macchione will show her latest collection at Couture Fashion Week New York at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday September 17, 2011. The fashion show will be held in the famed Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
Pilar Macchione grew up in Buena Park, California and showed an affinity for art and design at age 7 when she began sculpting dresses on dolls. Her professional training began in 1999 when she moved to Florence, Italy to study art and design at Ent-Art Polimoda, accredited through FIT in New York. She returned to California where she interned with designer Zandra Rhodes and later moved to London where she attended the University of Arts. While in London, Ms. Macchione's designs were featured in the British magazine Jack.
Her designs were selected over the work of 150 other students to represent the London College of Fashion in the "Modniy Desant" fashion event in St. Petersburg, Russia. The show brought Ms. Macchione attention from the Russian press as well as London television. Her designs appeared in Closer magazine with British actress Carol Voderman wearing Ms. Macchione's feather-trimmed evening cape. The cape was also featured in a Tony & Guy advertisement.
In 2005 Pilar Macchione was chosen to present her graduate collection at the First China (International) Student Design Competition in Guangzhou. She then went on to work with London designer Giles Deacon for two seasons, during which time she designed eclectic platform sandals that were featured in British Elle.
Most recently, Ms. Macchione worked with leading costume houses, including the Old Globe Theatre, San Diego Opera, and Bob Mackie's studio, where she developed a keen sense for pattern cutting, draping and clothing construction. In 2008 she earned her MA in Theatre/Costume Design from the UCLA School of Theatre. While at UCLA, Ms. Macchione was awarded a scholarship from the University of Arts London to work for the prestigious NSK textile company in New Delhi, India.
With a solid background in fashion and costume design, Pilar Macchione approaches each new design as a work of moving sculpture. Her distinctive creations appear on the runway as living art.
Visit the designer's website for more information: www.pilarmacchione.com