Goddesses, Sizzling Oranges & Eye-Popping Prints Kick Off Fashion Week

Diane von Furstenberg




DVF never fails to impress the runways' wide-eyed audience. I'd consider her the "Queen of Fashion Week". For spring 2009, DVF described her latest collection as "an homage to Diana Vreeland who taught us we could be goddesses and rock stars".

Models were adorned in smock tops, tunics, and peasant blouses. No piece went without some sort of vibrant and elaborate detailing, from stone beading to flowing ruffles. Overall, the runway show told a very whimsical/ethereal story with the ribbon headdresses and delicate fabrics. DVF held a tight grip on purples for this season, but definitely incorporated shades of burnt orange from Pantone's latest color report.

Twinkle by Wenlan



Designer Wenlan Chia caught my eye with her adorable collection for spring 2009. Wenlan stated that her inspiration for this season was "the free spirit of Jean Seberg. There are idealistic schoolgirl and bohemian details that exist both in her and in my spring line.The blend of colors, textures, vintage-inspired prints and tailored silhouettes give my collection a classic, romantic quality-reminiscent of Jean's legacy."

The piecess were also a modern take on the 40's tailored menswear look. High waistlines, structured bodices, and button detailing were read loud and clear in this collection. Designs truly grasped the powerful curves of a woman's body and had successfully shown them off in the most flattering way possible. Shades of gray remained the core, but pops of orange, yellows, and cobalt blue livened things up.

Hervé Léger by Max Azria



Max Azria is truly gifted when it comes to recreating Hervé Léger's signature curve-hugging bandage dresses. While staying true to the original texture and form fitting design, Azria decided to tweak the detailing by creating optical illusions through color gradients and the pattern placement. Shades of color delicately glided from light to dark in an airbrushed manner. He also worked to incorporate a lot of asymmetrical detailing. Bandaged swimsuits were a site to see! The sun bronzed beauty's tan lines after wearing one of them...well, that's another story.

Miss Sixty



Miss Sixty Group Co-Founder and Creative Director, Wichy Hassan, certainly maintained the line's signature sky-high level of sexiness for its spring 2009 collection. My eyes felt like there were taking a trip through a kaleidoscope, and I loved every second of it. There was definitely a hippie chic/bohemian undertone, but patterns were kept fresh and playful. The latest Miss Sixty designs were quite youthful with its inclusion of high-hemmed rompers and jumpers and pairs of stripe knee-high stockings.

On a quick side note, I very much appreciated these designers' selection of healthy happy models. While reviewing the recent shows, more often than not, the new fashions hung on waify life-less bodies that beared empty expressions. The shockingly visible rib cages and gouging collar bones diverted my attention away from the new fashions and onto my great concern for the models' well-being. These runway photos are examples of how lively/charismatic models can conspire with each piece to help achieve a more positive outlook on the line as a whole.