Mario Schwab The collection’s comprised mostly of micro-mini staple cocktail dresses with a novel twist: he used bows, crystals, double layering, and enticing peeps of color to bring his body-conscious dresses into the future.  Some of the dresses that struck me immediately had a slit down the center of the dress leaving what looked like a crack in the pavement in each 3-dimensional strip. The other technique that was beautifully constructed was the splicing gash he left behind in the dresses with beautiful crystallized texture that dashed and slashed through his double layered fabric.  There was one blue and black dress that had been paneled in contrasting colors side by side with a dot of each on the front, mirroring a yin-yang symbol.  Yin and yang certainly was the success of the collection, cut outs and contrasting architectural tailored clothing with soft and feminine color palette.  The perfect recipe for a buyers and editor’s “must-have” cocktail dress.

Luella This collection was youthful yet sophisticated and fun, and one of my favorites.  The collection looked as if it could have been taken right out of a Swinging London School Girl’s uniform.  The military jackets with big gold buttons and black dresses with exposed oversized hook & eye closures brought sophistication into the playground.  She had marvelous school girl blazers and Head Mistress approved skirt hemlines – just above the knee. She had cashmere sweater dresses and a flannel skirt with exposed outer-low-slung pockets – utilitarian all the way.  Her pom pom pumps and gold shiny leggings added just a dash of femininity, mixed with her messenger bags (perfect for your textbooks) and smart caps too that screamed discipline.  She even threw in adorable olive overalls.  Luella’s collection could easily fill and complete every swinging London school girl’s closet.  For once, she might actually love wearing a uniform.

Giles He hit every era with this collection, from the classic straight up and down austere ’30s, to the cymbal-like hat  and long fur gloves (gauntlets) of the of the ’40s, to the hourglass of the ’50s, to Madonna’s corsets in the ’80s, and finally to  the spiky dresses of the warrior women from today.  He even gave us a glimpse of the future by mixing different fabrics and materials as if he was entering an arts-and-crafts competition where he combined many of his “historical” references.  His trompe l’oeil detail was uncanny and the color palette of striking orange, chic black, grey and gold, showed loudly in one outfit after another.  He had mastered a puzzle with his collection; pasting together pieces that did not match but somehow still had a cohesive look that worked.  His saddle leather skirt, two-tone grey cashmere sweater, and burnt orange and black cocktail dresses were a must.  Buyers will a hard time weaning out this collection.

Erdem Think of his collection as a group of paintings. He is not only the colorist and painter but also the curator of the exhibit, or shall I say, show. That’s exactly what his collection looked like: art.  The base of his collection was a dress with “baby doll princess” silhouettes and high structured shoulders similar to the ones I saw in New York.  The colors of the dresses and prints combined electric blue, lemon yellow, burnt orange and black and white to create a kaleidoscope of colors. It was reminiscent of a time when I was younger and would mix all different colors of play dough together and then roll my creation out flat.  His clothing was spotted like my mixed play dough, but in a more detailed, decorated and delightful manner.  His booties perfectly matched the pattern and colors of the dresses and were the icing on the cake for each look. This is exhibit I wish I could have visited.

Stays tuned for more coverage tomorrow and enjoy the shows….

Christopher Kane – think graphic, think architectural, think deliberate detail and design. The beginning of his show played with menswear found in tailored black and gray classic jackets and slouchy boyish trousers. His dresses looked like he had taken a black permanent marker and had carefully exacted where to draw – the bold lines left the dress dissected in multiple squares. They were fabulous. It looked like an arts and crafts project that was so creative and inventive, and left all of the other members of the art class (or fashion editors) amazed.

Richard Nichol – Also, like Christopher, think graphic, thick architecture and design but all in a singular palette of cream. His patent trench coats and jackets that mimicked plastic couch covers, layered the structures pieces creating a vintage undertone. Tip top tailoring as well and a bit of corsetry, his collection was not only practical but also incredibly chic – and water resistant!

These two collections set the tone for those to come this week. These two shows have also given a sneak peek into another overriding fashion trend, combining transparency with plastic or black tubing on organza. This technique creates both sharp and sleek dimensions and also softer tailoring. The sharp angles were softened with the vintage feel in both collections. Keep your eyes here, I’ll help track this trend in the shows to come!