| San Francisco International Fashion Week | Joseph Domingo |
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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Lights, Camera, Action! Hot Chocolate's sixties hit "I Believe in Miracles" brightened the room as the show started off with swimwear such as plunging, space-dyed maillots for women, and super-short swim trunks for men in psychedelic citrus shades.
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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Key Takeaways: The show was full of references to nature, such as water-blue chiffon dresses, floral-print suits and jackets in earthy colors. Domingo also succeeded well in doing what he does best--couture gowns--as well as suits for women and edgy jackets for men. Overall, Joseph Domingo's show was one of the top highlights of SFIFW.
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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Silhouettes: In swimwear, plunging maillots for women and supershort trunks for men; Fitted skirt and pantsuits for women; boxy jackets for men, worn on a bare chest; deep-V dresses for women; flouncy cocktail dresses with tiered prairie skirts or accordion pleats for women. We loved the thoughtful details, like the green "leaves" that made up the sleeves of this dress:
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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Accessories Report: Necklaces and bracelets made of clusters of resin beads; silver dagger necklaces (one of which Domingo himself wore); flower-shaped costume jewelry; glass beads. Models wore their hair long and loose.
One way to turn heads:
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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| San Francisco International Fashion Week | Cari Borja
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Background on Cari Borja: This San Francisco Fresh Faces alum started her collection while getting her doctorate in anthropology in Berkeley. After her collection -- a compilation of more than 40 outfits -- was presented at fashion week, a very pregnant Cari stepped out to receive an overwhelming round of applause.
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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Key Takeaways: "I was inspired by my daughter," Borja told us after the show. "She's two years old and she dresses herself in [different] shapes and colors." Borja captured youth through her choice of colors for the collection, as well as with the playfulness of ruffled hems.
Silhouettes: Tiered ruffle babydoll dresses, ruffle cardigans with ruffled sleeves, hooded, ruffled camisoles. Did we mention ruffles?
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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Accessories Report: Gold sandals on every model, dangly earrings, bunches of tangled necklaces and bracelets, gold necklaces with tassles. We also saw various-sized pom-poms made of yarn and worn in the manner of flower pins.
What's Wearable: A gold babydoll dress with tiered ruffles.
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Photo Credit: Ling Kong |
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| San Francisco Fresh Faces in Fashion | Elena Vasileva
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Background on Elena Vasileva: As a child in Russia, Elena Vasileva learned to knit. A degree from FIDM and many years later, she proffers a line of knitwear made exclusively with yarn.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Key Takeaways: This was by far the most creative collection we saw in the Fresh Faces show. Knitting's obviously not just for grannies anymore!
Color Palette: Space-dyed fabrics and burnt orange, pewter, lavender, burgundy, cream and taupe.
Silhouettes: Exaggerated puffy sleeves, super-short skirts, and, for once, a new take on enhancing the bosom: Rather than doing the traditional low-cut top, Vasileva decided to make full use of undercleavage.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Accessories Report: Medusa hair and superlong extensions; knitted leg warmers; separate neck adornments
What's Wearable: Shrugs.
Is this the vision of a space-age cowgirl?
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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| San Francisco Fresh Faces in Fashion | Rachel Mara
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Background on Rachel Mara: Rachel Mara, which debuted in Spring 2002, looks to rare fabrics for inspiration. The result: a very wearable collection that feels both organic and feminine.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Key Takeaways: The most wearable collection of the entire show. Indeed, we loved the fabric, most of which we couldn't identify from the audience--its texture added dimension to some of the otherwise ordinary clothing.
Color Palette: Neutrals, and the basic black and white.
Silhouettes: We spotted lots of bermuda shorts. (A possible trend for Spring 2006?)
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Accessories Report: Long beaded necklaces, pearl chokers, string belts, gloves.
What's Wearable: Everything.
Is there too much going on here? You decide:
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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| San Francisco Fresh Faces in Fashion | Hengst
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Background on Hengst: Susan Hengst's innovative line of clothing hails from the Mission district of San Francisco.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Key Takeaways: As sexy mood music played, models sashayed down the runway in everything from pantsuits to pleather hot pants. Designer Hengst enjoys combining designs with unexpected fabrics--a windbreaker made of silk taffeta, for instance.
Color Palette: All colors--the bolder, the better.
Silhouettes: Arabian-inspired pants and culottes; shirred jersey separates; sporty windsuits.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Accessories Report: Belts in gold rope or leather, cinched with a geode belt buckle; aviator sunglasses. Our favorite was a random gold-and-pewter stuffed pleather ball that looked like it might have been a pet's toy before it made the show.
What's Wearable: White wide-leg pants.
We definitely noticed these green pleather shorts, held together by a bow-tie:
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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| San Francisco Fresh Faces in Fashion | Paala |
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Background on Paala: Former graphic designer Janna Stark created Paala, inspired by the idea that the same dresses can function for day as well as night.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Key Takeaways: While feminine, the collection was not overtly sexy. Stark focused on girly details such as poufed and ruffled sleeves, flowy skirts made of printed chiffon and tie-neck tops.
Color Palette: Yellows, browns, greens, pinks and purples, many in used ombre patterns.
Silhouettes: Ruffled dresses made of chiffon with high-neck collars or styled off-the-shoulder; tie-neck silk tops with gaucho trousers. Many of the dresses had rows of button detail on the side and back.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Accessories Report: Wild hair extensions.
What's Wearable: An off-the-shoulder dress made of sheer silk with a debossed floral print in crushed velvet. Who wouldn't feel pretty, oh so pretty?
Our favorite top from the show:
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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| San Francisco Fresh Faces in Fashion | GENES |
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Background on GENES: Combine San Francisco native Genes Sotto with former Zang Toi assistant designer Fleur Lidwine-Louis and what you get is GENES. The clothing line, which is based in New York, is designed with the sexy, urban woman in mind.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Key Takeaways: This collection, created by Genes Sotto and Fleur Lidwine-Louis, was a bit retro, a bit classic, a bit urban, and rather youthful all at the same time. Classic shapes make Genes highly wearable, while colorblock designs evoke an element of retro youthfulness.
Color Palette: Canary yellow, teal, turquoise and gold.
Silhouettes: Most of the collection was dedicated to lustrous silks, which weighed flatteringly on models in the form of circle skirts, ruched dresses and blouson tops.
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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Accessories Report: Side ponytails, dewy faces and lace-up stilettos.
What's Wearable: Dresses covered in pailettes.
The latest way to show off a toned midsection:
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Photo Credit: Cary Wun |
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On the Runway
