Chinese-American designer, Vivienne Tam presented her Fall/Winter 2012 entitled “Shangri-La Remix” at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. While “East-meets-West” is not a new concept, this was not your typical “asian inspired” collection. Focusing less on the typical Chinese or Indian inspirations, Vivienne Tam looked to Mongolia and the Himalayan Mountains of Nepal. The elements of traditional dress of these regions lent well to a layery Fall/Winter 2012 look.
EAST MEETS WEST
Western tailoring elements such as oxford collars, fitted blazers, pencil skirts and dress pants were met with Asian inspired motifs and fabrics.
ASIAN MOTIFS
Vivienne Tam used motifs and patterns from traditional Asian cultures to continue the theme of “Shangri-La Remix”. A stunningly simple dress was made into a showstopper with the addition of an intricate Chineses dragon applique that wrapped around the waist like a peplum. A couple of outfits featured a thick lace that replicated the repeated patterns from Asian architecture— Repeated circles that looked like Ba Guas with intricate dragon shapes in some as well. Fabrics featured patterns similar to those in traditional Nepalese dress.
SKIRTS OVER PANTS
Drawing from the traditional Mongolian dress of wearing long tunics over pants, Vivienne Tam is reinforcing the trend of skirts over pants coming back in Fall/Winter 2012
SAREES
Drawing from traditional Nepali saree dresses, the collection featured fitted western style dresses with “zig zag” draping of fabric across the front.
MONGOLIAN FUR
Furs continue to dominate both the runways and the streets as a Fall/Winter 2012 staple. Vivienne Tam approaches the trend, keeping with the “Shangri-La Remix” theme by using a long haired Mongolian lamb fur, dyed in rich fall hues.
SPOTTED
The front row had a variety of celebrities— New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, hip hop mogul Russell Simmons, actress Bebe Neuwirth, and bloggers Keiko Lynn, Natalie Suarez
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by Sylvia & Samantha of lipglossandblack
Images by Sylvia and Samantha.
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