Saint Louis Fashion Week
March 23 – 29, 2009
by Malaika Horne, PhD
Photos by Dan Elavsky
March 26, 2009
A new kind of fashion energy is emerging in St. Louis, some are quirky, some trendsetting and others just down right beautiful. Wedbnesday evening, March 24 at the Lumiere Place Hotel on the Landing, a jammed packed energetic sold-out crowd of mostly 20- and 30-somethings viewed youthful, edgy and modern clothes by the city’s up-and-coming fashion avant-guard. Jerrell Scott, a designer featured on the show Project Runway kicked off fashion week by emceeing the program and presenting his ’09 fall/winter collection. He is also on the cover of Alive magazine, looking like he’s already arrived.
The seven designers who showed their work were all talented, but obviously some were more so than others. They were competing for a first-place prize to help boost their design careers. Prizes represented thousands of dollars for a photo shoot, website, MAC cosmetics and more. A team of judges, including Scott, declared the winner to be The Exquisite Corpse by Michael Drummond. He was clearly a cut above the rest, no play on words intended.
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The Exquisite Corpse by Michael Drummond
I also selected this collection as the one to win. First, the clothes were well made. Many were from recycled materials, another plus in these eco-centric/environmental times. Soft subdued colors gave it an understated yet modern feel. There were no duds and many hits. The scarlet silk chiffon empire waist baby doll with hidden crystals was darling. The lavender recycled cotton and plastic top, off-white ripped detail mohair knit pencil skirt was über-modern. The burnt sienna recycled knit tube dress, bronze knit silk skirt, empire waistline in black silk chiffon was masterfully done. There were other great ones, too. The collection clearly stood out. It was fresh, sensible and sophisticated. Makeup as well as hair, long and crimped, were striking. |
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LK by Laura Kathleen Planck
LK showed slinky jersey gowns and other evening wear featuring a bird motif, that is, models’ hair was beautifully done to look like a bird’s nest with feathers and feathers were on some of the clothes. Some of the models were carrying birdcages, though empty; they were probably supposed to be evening bags. My favorite was the bluebird-light blue silk taffeta circle mini dress with the gold brooch. However, the models seemed to have difficulty walking in heels that seemed way too high. Some clothes were fashion forward, but the collection was uneven. |
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Michael Shead Est. 1987 by Michael Shead
Michael Shead seems to be the quintessential designer. He came out at the end with somewhat John Galliano style theatrics to whip up more enthusiasm for his collection. But it needed some help. The shorter dresses seemed ill fitting. The velvet “str8” leg pants were uninspiring. On a more positive note, the blue chiffon slightly see-through top with the carnation-looking flowers covering each breast of the braless model was exquisite. The gold lame jacket was very innovative, receiving spontaneous applause. The Mary yellow silk gown was divine. The models were having a hard time walking in the shoes, all by Baker Footwear. The shoes were gorgeous and fashionable. But one wonders how comfortable they are. |
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Jennifer Neal
This collection brought to mind several images: galactic, techno, grunge even vampirish. Perhaps that was the problem: poor execution and lack of a unified idea. The tops did not seem to be sewn well; as one knows, a poorly sewn outfit will ruin any look no matter how masterful the design. The black leather asymmetrical circular skirt, leather booty shorts and deep armhole T looked thrown together nor did it look comfortable especially when sitting. The most effective was the full body unitard with hood, zipper front with bloused waist. The models look sad and tired. The male models, pasty and unbuffed, wore tops that showed their worst features. |
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Shankeithclothing by Shan Keith
Purple was au courant in this collection. There were other colors too, including brown and green and white. The purple floral dress was very perky and the model seemed like she enjoyed wearing it. The floor length green floral print dress seemed to float down the runaway; it was the hit of the collection. But the line also lacked a coherent theme. The black fur cocktail dress, the purple cardigan worn by a male model, the half white/half polka dot dress with fur vest pouch while all exemplifying unique creativity, it would have been more pulled together if the designer had scaled back these varying designs a bit more. |
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Socialite by Veronica Ariel
The strengths of this collection are the colors, particularly the teals. They were very refreshing, perhaps even bringing to mind the hues of the ocean. Nature and going green are the all the rage but more than that, most of the clothes worked. Perhaps teal is the new black. The taupe jump suit was also a beautiful color. The model worked it too. Plus, her clothes were well made. The gold trench coat was a knock out. From the positive response of the audience, I think a lot women there envisioned themselves busting into a party with that bouncy trench coat; she would definitely dominate the scene. The swimsuits were cute, too. These clothes are definitely designed to sell. |
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Jerrell Scott Design
Jerrell Scott did double-duty for this show, the emcee as well as presenting his collection. He’s a very likeable person and though he mispronounced a few names he did it with aplomb. But more importantly, he’s extremely talented. The craftsmanship, colors, prints and appliqués are reminiscent of many of the classic Parisian designers – think Jean Paul Gaultier. The recurring theme seemed Peruvian. Many of the models wore the traditional headwear of that Latin American country, the knit cap, though gussied up with large tassels and brighter colors. Scott likes tassels even on the hoodie the male model was wearing. But also beads, feathers and baubles were prominently featured. I loved everything in his line. Much of it he described as ethnic but a few pieces while nice did not seem to fit, like the tunic won by a male model. Scott obviously pays a lot of attention to details. The black-beaded hand-sewn finale gown took more than 130 hours of work. The pink and orange tie dyed dress with bead stitching was eye popping. Unfortunately, a beautiful ostrich feather mini dress was too big on top for the model’s very thin body. Still, the collection was an opulent and regal, revealing his ability to not only get on Project Runway but also remain there so long. Regrettably, he didn’t win. But his work seems to rival any of the winners of that show. |
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80th Annual Fashion Design Show
Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts
Washington University in St. Louis
By Malaika Horne, PhD & Gwen Moore
Photos by Dan Elavsky
April 17, 2009
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Hailed as an opportunity to “witness history,” The 80th Anniversary Washington University Fashion Show was not only a chance to reflect on its time-honored legacy but to showcase a vision of the future. Jeigh Singleton, professor, Sam Fox School of Design and Visual Arts, moderated -- featuring collections of juniors and graduating seniors.
The upbeat and youthful show wrapped up this year’s Fall/Winter ’09 Fashion Week at Lumiere Place Casino & Hotels. Not as well attended as some of the other shows, but for a Sunday evening in St. Louis, it still attracted an enthusiastic and sophisticated audience of about 200.
The class of ’09 is: Jeremiah Xavier Avila, Michellane Deutsch, Eula Hinds, Catherine Hite, Margaret Hemkens, Audra Jank, Windnie Pan, Amanda Pargh, Tara Phelan, Elizabeth Romaner and Melissa Wong. The class of ‘10 is Miriam Ahmad, Tessa Braun, Pia Luchini, Jun Nakamura, Hillary Smith, Lauren Vassallo and Camilla White.
This year’s collection highlighted the talent of a budding group of designers, in all probability, destined for success. Many who’ve attended the design school go on to work with some of the most preeminent in the field. |
| The first dress to come down the runway was titled, The Bride. Typically, the wedding dress is the last in the collection, but this show had it first. Designed by Michellane Deutsch, it was noted as “a contemporary expression of today’s bride.” With a simple traditional veil, the dress, a plain bodice and attached angular skirt that could most likely fit with Vera Wang’s much vaunted wedding gown collection. It was of white satiny material with wide sashes on each side, starting at the waist trailing along the back. For a novitiate, that is, a person still in training, it was quite impressive. |
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| The Fall Dress Groups was by the class of ’09. Dresses by Xavier Avila, were influenced by the cold, modernity of architecture Rem Koolhass and William Pereira, with a geometric “palette derived from iconic photographs of the Seattle Central Library and the UCSD Geisel Library.” The geometric cuts were basically plain black and white, short and A-line. Shoes were sensible black pumps. Mentioned in the Fashion Design Show booklet as clothes that are meant for stores, ergo, more commercial than artsy. Or perhaps it was fashion imitating art. For example, Margaret Hemken’s inspiration was Le Corbusier; emulating streamlined styles, supple winter wools and luxe faux-reptile trims. Windnie Pan was influenced by the Mayan themes of Guatemala, earthy and strong, yet feminine and direct. Tara Phelan’s cowboy boots on models with short and lively dresses were reminiscent of Native American motifs and looked very modern. Melissa Wong was influenced by the auspicious bold red colors of China. |
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| Called Patterns for Success, these were skirts and blouses by the class of ‘10. Essentially variations on an abstract theme of sameness and differences. Especially eye-catching were the corduroy garments, since you don’t see that fabric much nowadays. These clothes are definitely targeted for the junior set, young women who are still in college or about to embark on a career. |
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Next were coats -- fun, fresh and flirty -- from the class of ‘09 -- by far the brightest spots in the show, color-wise. Though there were several constructed pieces in navy and herringbone, most were an explosion of vibrant teals, purples and magentas, highlighted with equally pulsating linings ranging from hot lime and bright yellow to pale lavender and a rich fuchsia. Like most of the garments that came down the aisle, the coats were short (and for a want of a better word, sassy), the most interesting of which consisted of high-waisted bodices with feminine details like flounced sleeves and ruffles, all attached to full gathered bottoms. Paired with the perfect little black dress, the simplicity of the dresses highlighted the complexity and vivid colors of the outer garments. |
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Suits followed -- more subdued in color but no less innovative in design. These were definitely not your mother’s suits; there was not a boxy, tailored jacket or a pencil skirt in sight. The theme was consistent and cohesive throughout. The pieces were soft, feminine, young and forward-looking -- consisting of small jackets with close attention to detail. Skirts, reminiscent of the coats in the collection, were for the most part full, gathered and short. Others were more intricate constructions that fit a bit closer to the body. Again the looks were winsome and winning, experimental but not at the expense of practicality. |
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The ball gowns, the finale, were equally soft and pretty but at the same time bold with exciting flourishes. Here the designers exercised their penchant for fantasy and whimsy resulting in delicate confections that were exceedingly pleasing to the eye and, judging from the fluid movement of the models, deceptively easy to wear. The gowns were feminine and luxurious without being fussy or overly girly. Standouts were a deep burgundy crepe with rose accents, a three-tiered piece in sumptuous pink satin, and another with copious yards of pale tulle. All were polished and inspired creations, exquisite by any standard. |
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Considering what strutted, bopped and floated down the runway, the future of fashion is in capable and creative hands. Hats and gloves off to the design class of '09 and '10. |
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