Derek Lam with model Freja Beha Erichsen wearing the first look in the collection. Photo courtesy of Style.com .
APA takes a closer look at six collections from the top Asian designers at New York and London Fashion Week.
It's Fashion Week again -- or it was a few weeks ago -- and the retail and design sectors were abuzz for the new season. Though we agree that the women's ready-to-wear collections for Fall 2007 were not as exciting and inspiring as we had hoped, there were still a handful from New York and London that caught our eyes. For collections like Vera Wang and 3.1 Phillip Lim, fall marks the arrival of a dark, somber palette and luxurious knits. However, others like Manish Arora defy the norms of cold-weather dress; the collection features a number of sleeveless tops and dresses with candy-colored coats. For the fall, expect to see a continuation of spring's above-the-knee hemlines, belted waists, high necks, metallics (yet again), and lots of black. Below are some of New York and London Fashion Week's most notable collections from designers of Asian descent.
Doo.Ri
NEW YORK: Doo-Ri Chung has experienced enormous success in the past year. Her Spring 2007 collection allowed her to take home the Vogue/CFDA Fashion Fund Award for young designers and the Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for emerging talent. And aside from a collaboration in the works with jewelry giant Piaget, 2006 also marked Chung's wedding to Jeff Green, for which she designed her own dress.
For Fall 2007, Chung opened with a cropped trench with satin lapels over a knee-length skirt of flowing silk, all in jet black. The dramatic silhouette was complimented by long leather gloves, which were a sultry touch throughout the collection. Later, Chung sent out a number of short jersey cocktail dresses in burgundy and teal, cropped three-quarter-sleeved jackets, and sexy skintight trousers. A fox fur vest and crystal embellishments added an air of glamour to the show. Chung's masterful hand at draping was evident in the high-neck cap-sleeved minidress, which featured handfuls of chiffon cascading from bunched rosettes at the top to create a flouncy bubble hem. Though the Doo.Ri Spring 2007 collection put the line on the map, Fall 2007 reminds us of why Chung deserves to be there. --Victoria J. Chin
Vera Wang
NEW YORK: Proving that stylistic inspiration can come from the unlikeliest of places, Vera Wang channeled the Bolshevik Revolution for her Fall 2007 collection. Pale-faced, full-browed models marched down her runway in black leather knee-high boots, structured skirts, and stiff coats in gray, black, and military khaki. Jackets and tops were then cinched at the waist with black belts or layered with knit sweaters. Of course, the Babushka look would not be complete without the accent headscarf, which Wang presented in heavy knits as well as emerald green and gold satin. While drawing on Russia's wartime drab garb might seem like a design gamble to some, Wang proved that even the utilitarian can be beautiful: amidst the bridal queen's dark fall palette peeped signs of her signature opulent elegance in shiny satins, sequins, brooches, and beaded evening gowns. --Ana La O'
Manish Arora
LONDON: Sometimes the chill of fall calls for a fashion pick-me-up. For Manish Arora, this means color, sparkle, and most importantly, a very vivid imagination. The Indian designer dressed his models in futuristic dresses layered over ultra shiny black tights for Fall 2007. Showing that more is, well, more, many of his dresses boasted glittering sequins, intricate cutouts, and Pucci-meets-intergalactic fantasy-inspired prints. Arora pumped the volume of his avant-garde designs even higher with matching fluorescent orange and platinum blonde blunt cut bob wigs and theatrical makeup. With white face paint, flashes of lime green eye shadow, and intricate drawn-on eye and head patterns, Arora's looks evoked punk rock, 60s mod, and Queen Amidala, all at the same time. In the sea of fall's black and gray, Arora's loud new line emerges as a much needed relief -- or should I say release? -- from the monotony. --Ana La O'
3.1 Phillip Lim
NEW YORK: Phillip Lim's fall collection featured a variety of classic, loosely tailored options for women and men. Lim for the most part stuck to his usual palette of grey, black, beige, and ivory, but this time also sent out a few pieces in bright cerulean and vibrant red. Sportswear for women included layered silk blouses and cashmere sweaters, voluminous silk dresses and skirts over tights, and oversized trousers. Standout pieces include a loose metallic minidress with a collar of black folds and elbow-length sleeves and a white scoopneck tank dress with chiffon delicately draped from the chest to the hip. Lim's options for men consisted of coats, blazers, and sweaters over flat front slacks, and were generally uninspiring. This collection marked Lim's first venture into denim, with a high-waisted denim skirt for women and jeans for men. Overall, the fall 2007 line was not as unified as it has been in the past, but it was nicely summed up by the final piece -- a strapless ivory silk dress with top folds held in by a black sash at the waist, worn by none other than Du Juan. --Victoria J. Chin
Derek Lam
NEW YORK: Derek Lam built his reputation on his ability for reinterpreting classic American sportswear. He makes this clear once again in his fall collection, delivering straightforward, tailored pieces with sophisticated and unique details. The first look was a white double-breasted wool coat with exaggerated lapels over tight leather and suede pants. Present throughout most of the collection were high belted waists, skinny pants, a-line skirts, and plaids in black, white, grey, and navy. What may have thrown some people off were oddly-placed zippers going down the front of some of the skirts and dresses. But what the collection lacked in daywear it more than compensated with its options for evening. The light brown chiffon minidress with asymmetrical shoulders was nothing short of angelic. The navy floor-length gown with a deep shawl neck and hood blew away the audience, which included Vogue Editor-In-Chief Anna Wintour, stylist extraordinaire Rachel Zoe, and makeup maven turned socialite Olivia Chantecaille. --Victoria J. Chin
Eley Kishimoto
LONDON: Fashion and textile duo Wakako Kishimoto and Mark Eley first caught the fancy of the fashion world by creating striking patterns for heavyweights like Marc Jacobs and Alexander McQueen. But this spring, the pair impressed audiences with their own funky, but understated, Eley Kishimoto fall line. On the Eley Kishimoto runway, simple dresses (in sleeveless, quarter-length and puff sleeve styles) and kimono sleeve jackets were brightened with floral and geometric patterns in bold red, gold, and navy blue. Showing an eye for playful contrasts, Eley Kishimoto often layered sold satin coats over printed pieces. Even more bravely, the pair layered large red and gold floral print coats over neutral colored plaid skirts, successfully mixing prints without overwhelming the viewer. While Eley Kishimoto's fall line offered standout graphics, it also had its share of flowing, draped pieces in solid yellow, navy, and white. After all, Eley Kishimoto is about balance this fall season. --Ana La O'
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