SAIC and ELLE Present 4th Annual FASHION | NEXT Runway Show at Lincoln Center

ELLE, the No. 1 fashion magazine in the world, today announced its partnership with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) to produce the fourth annual FASHION | NEXT event, to take place at the David H. Koch Theatre at Lincoln Center as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week on Friday, September 6. With exclusive sponsor Maybelline New York, FASHION | NEXT celebrates the unique talents of today’s emerging young designers. In addition to the live runway show, students will have their work featured in the October and December issues of ELLE and on ELLE.com.

“We are delighted to partner with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago for our fourth annual FASHION | NEXT show,” said Robbie Myers, editor in chief, ELLE. “Supporting young talent is key to the future of this industry. Each year we eagerly await the students’ runway collections—it’s exciting to watch the future of fashion in the making.”

Participating in the project that is now in its fourth year, SAIC joins an esteemed group of art and design schools including Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD), and Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Acting as mentors and curators, the ELLE editors initially met with the SAIC students in May to view their designs and begin the selection process of looks that would best represent each student designer in the final show. This year’s show is comprised of twenty-three student designs from the graduating class of 2013.

“We are so thankful to partner with ELLE on Fashion | Next, giving our students the chance to show their designs on the runway during New York Fashion Week,” said Katrin Schnabl, SAIC Sage Chair in Fashion Design. “Our students will truly benefit from this incredible opportunity for their work to be seen by a global audience. What a monumental grand finale to their college experience!”

Following the live runway show, one student designer will be awarded the ELLE FASHION | NEXT Design Award ($25,000). The students will also have the chance to win the Maybelline New York Design Visionary Award ($25,000). Beginning September 6th, ELLE readers will also be able to help award one lucky recipient with the People’s Choice Award ($10,000) by to casting their vote on ELLE.com (voting open for one month.)

“This year marks the fourth year that Maybelline New York is the presenting sponsor of Elle|Fashion Next and we’re thrilled to partner with the School of the Art Institute of Chicago" says Carolyn Dawkins, Vice President, Marketing, Maybelline New York. "Fashion and beauty are intrinsically linked. They share the same ideals in terms of self-expression and both offer something for everyone. As the Official Cosmetics Sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week, we are delighted to work with such a wide range of talented designers from up-and-comers to the established. The energy and creativity that comes out of these students is outstanding and inspiring and embodies all of the energy and passion of Maybelline New York.”

The ELLE FASHION | NEXT Design Award winner will be selected by a panel of judges made up of fashion industry leaders including Kelly Osborne, Pamela Love, Timo Weiland and Alan Eckstein, Creatures of the Wind, as well as ELLE creative director Joe Zee, ELLE fashion news director Anne Slowey, and Carolyn Dawkins, VP of Marketing from Maybelline New York.

For more, visit ELLE.com/fashionnext where visitors will get a backstage pass to the Fashion Week festivities through a documentary-style webisode series chronicling each semi-finalists’ journey from SAIC to Lincoln Center, with insider commentary from ELLE editors and the judging panel.

About ELLE
ELLE is the No. 1 fashion magazine in the world, with 44 editions, 21 million readers, and 6.4 million copies sold every month worldwide. It is also the foundation of numerous brand extensions, including ELLE Decor (25 editions), ELLE A Table (four editions), and ELLE.com (28 websites with 20 million unique visitors). The U.S. edition reaches an audience of 5.9 million readers, who find in ELLE a rich mix of fashion, beauty and culture that lets the reader discover their personal style and public self. ELLE is published by Hearst Magazines, the largest publisher of monthly magazines in the U.S. (ABC 2011) which reaches 82 million adults each month (Spring 2012 MRI). Follow ELLE on Twitter at ELLEmagazine.

About SAIC
A leader in educating artists, designers, and scholars since 1866, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) offers nationally accredited undergraduate and graduate degrees and post-baccalaureate programs to more than 3,200 students from around the globe. SAIC also provides adults, high school students, and children with the opportunity to flourish in a variety of courses, workshops, certificate programs, and camps through its Continuing Studies program. Located in the heart of Chicago, SAIC has an educational philosophy built upon an interdisciplinary approach to art and design, giving students unparalleled opportunities to develop their creative and critical abilities, while working with renowned faculty who include many of the leading practitioners in their fields. SAIC's resources include the Art Institute of Chicago and its new Modern Wing; numerous special collections and programming venues provide students with exceptional exhibitions, screenings, lectures, and performances. For more information, please visit saic.edu.

About Maybelline New York
Maybelline New York is the number one cosmetics brand in the world and is available in over 129 countries worldwide. As the official makeup and nail sponsor of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York, Maybelline New York combines technologically advanced formulations with on-trend expertise to create accessible cosmetics with a spirited style. Further capturing the essence of New York City style, Maybelline New York’s fashion and beauty blog CITY is the go-to destination for ‘It’ girls, offering exclusive, unique and behind-the-scenes beauty and fashion content. Log onto www.maybelline.com and city.maybelline.com. Also available in Spanish. Maybe she’s born with it, maybe it’s Maybelline.

For further press inquiries:
Allison Lewis, alewis@greatpress.com
Johnna Escobedo, jescobedo@hearst.com / 212.649.2581