Runway to Northern California

Academy of Art College in San Francisco will host its annual graduation fashion show, Fashion 2003, at 7 p.m. on May 20 at the school’s 491 Post St. building.

Academy of Art College’s president, Dr. Elisa Stephens, will present an honorary doctorate to Josie Natori, founder and chief executive officer of The Natori Company, which manufactures apparel under the Natori, Josie and Cruz labels. Natori will select a student designer at the show to join her company for a summer internship.

Fern Mallis, executive director of 7th On Sixth and vice president of IMG, producers of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York and Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. in Los Angeles, will also receive an honorary doctorate.

“There is a taste level here that is sophisticated, quite international and unlike other cities in this country,” said Mallis.

Among the graduates displaying designs at this year’s show are J’Amy Tarr, MFA; Norman Sauer, BFA; and Erin Pope, BFA. Student designer Brian Forst, MFA, will not attend the event because he has begun an internship in Paris with John Galliano at Christian Dior. He will be assisting in Galliano’s haute couture Fall/Winter 2003–2004 collection. —Dany S. Penn