Of all the shows I attended this NYFW one of the most fun and enjoyable shows was definitely the Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation show. For those of you who don’t know about Ecco Domani (ie. Me up until 5 minutes ago) it is an Italian winery which donates tens of thousands of dollars every year to up and coming fashion designers. This year eight designers were recipients of a $25,000 prize to spend towards producing a show at this season’s fashion week. I have to say it was really fun getting to see a single show with eight very different aesthetics; a nice departure from your average fashion show, not to say that fashion shows are average… well at least not all of them. Eight seems like a bit much to go over so here are the four mini-shows that stood out for me.
Altuzarra- One word—FIERCE. There was a lot of buzz around the Altuzurra show this fashion week and if vampire-y dominatrix is your cup of tea, then this show definitely hits the mark.
SIKI IM- My personal favorite out of the bunch and yes you guessed it- menswear. A former designer at Helmut Lang, Im worked off a simple black and white color palette and focused on creating new and interesting shapes. I particularly liked the nod to samurai dress in his black skirts over trousers and wide obi type belts.
Prabal Gurung- Color blocking done right I say. Color-blocking is a technique that has surfaced and resurfaced and often times it seems that it’s there for no other reason than to say “Hey look! Color-blocking!” I liked that Gurung managed to incorporate the blocks into his designs in a way that alters the shape of the clothing, or at least appears to do so. As they passed me on the runway his pieces often required a double-take; which, for me, is a very good thing.
The Blonds- Okay I’m going to start by saying that one of the transsexual designers of the label had a fiercer walk than any model I’ve seen this entire fashion week. This show was definitely far from my comfort zone but that didn’t stop me from appreciating all the fabulousness that comprised it. Feathers, gold, sparkles; I swear I could see spots when I closed my eyes for a while after this show.
I can’t wait to see what these designers will do in the future. Fingers crossed for Siki Im!
xo Nancy
1st photo: Altuzarra
2nd photo: Siki Im
3rd photo: Prabal Gurung
4th photo: The Blonds
