Creativity was in full force Tuesday night as 13 student and alumni designers from The Art Institutes presented their micro-collections at Lincoln Center during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week. The burgeoning designers came from all walks of life. There was a former marine, a carpenter, an architect, a mother – all of whom switched or added careers in order to design.

Industry experts John Bartlett, Bonnie Young, Cliodna Egan, Christina Neault and Douglas Hannant selected and mentored the talented up-and-coming Gustavo Alonso, Luis Aponte, Joshuan Aponte, Lauren Barisic, Lorena Cabrera, Anna Charest, Samuel Ciccone, Michael Doyle, Ryan Edmonds, German Madrigal, Christopher Maracha, Rei Yamamoto and Simone Young.

Bravo and Brava! Here a view into each one’s world:

Simone Young’s hand dyed silk

Lorena Cabrera’s architectural lines

Luis Aponte’s “special event attire”

Michael Doyle’s avant-garde experimentalism

Christopher Maracha’s sheer mesh for the skater crew

Joshuan Aponte’s version of the down puffer

Lauren Barisic’s Americana inspiration

Gustavo Alonso’s romantic cocktail wear

Rie Yamamoto’s Time Travelers vintage/modern aesthetic

Anna Charest’s creation inspired by a Civil War medical wagon

Samuel Ciccone’s appreciation of black

Design duo Ryan Edmonds and German Madrigal balanced nongender-specific creations