On February 12, 2015, I was invited to attend a fashion show presented by Style Fashion with Charity : Water, a non-profit organization that brings safe drinking water to developing nations. Style Fashion has brought a wide variety of international designers and their collections to New York Fashion Week; this year they brought five designers ranging from artsy, soft, feminine to futuristic gender-blurring aesthetics.
QUYNH Paris
Accompanied by firey melodies of electric violin and powerful moves of two male dancers, QUYNH Paris sent down the runway over 30 looks with vibrant colors, creative construction, and artistic trimming. Many of them constructed with fabrics of different colors or textures, some also have asymmetric cut-outs or hemlines that provide more visual interest as well as accentuate the female body.
The highlight of this collection was evening wear, without a doubt. There was a masterful command of silk and velvet, each dress like a blooming rare flower on the stage and the woman in it is the center of that flower. When the designer herself walked down the runway in a wine-red design of her own, the crowd cheered, and it is not out of politeness. Well done, QUYNH Paris!
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Daiki Shimiz
Following a spectacular presentation by QUYNH, Daiki Shimizu had a pretty big shoe to fill. A mini collection of 9 looks, my overall impression is that they are in-cohesive. The first four looks appeared to belong to a different collection than the last five. They had clean lines and were well-tailored, but there was nothing eye-catching about them.
The next five looks were refreshing, to say the least. Small pieces of fabric were layered, sometimes ruched and then layered, to form the visual resemblance of hybrid samurai armor and a lotus flower. Practicality aside, they were much more interesting to look at. If there is an opportunity, I would love to see more designs from Daiki Shimizu.
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Ophelia Song
After the seemingly heavy gray amor-dresses by Shimizu, the pure white, water-color painted silk numbers by Ophelia Song was like gentle clouds floating down the runway.
It was apparent that Song knew her way around delicate fabric such as satin and silk; her 10-piece mini collection was simple and elegant. I could totally envision myself and women of various body-shapes wearing these designs. I hope Song will expand this collection to a full one and incorporate more fabric and designs that are more winter-friendly.
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Hetero Phobia
Had there not been this black and white face-covering, checkered dizziness by Hetero Phobia, I would say the party was pretty much over after the first ten minutes. It was close to 10 o’clock at night and just when some fashionistas began to yawn, a model wearing an all-black outfit with her face covered by black and white checkered fabric showed up on the runway. It sent a jolt through the audience, the crowd became excited for the next look, and the one after that.
The looks were interesting, to say the least. The message was clear, especially when the male models showed up in not much more than underwear and slogan t-shirts, backpacks slung over shoulders with bouquets of carnations peaking out, or rainbow-colored feathers adorning their hats or boots. The best part was, however, the models were more interactive, some even have synchronized steps. It was more like a stage rather than runway at this point.
When it was all over, the lights went dim and live music by this amazing musician started again. I, among a couple hundred others who were fishing outside the tent, thought to myself: not a bad night, not at all. Thank you Charity Water, and thank you Socially Shoppable, for this unique experience!
HAPPY SHOPPING!
[For more of Holly’s articles, check out here author page here!]
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