Spring/Summer 2015 Archives - LAFashionsnob.com

Francesca Liberatore – NYFW September 2014

Jan 11 2015

Italian designer Francesca Liberatore graduated from the prestigious Central Saint Martins in London and has since worked from prominent design houses and participated in important initiatives. The “enfant prodige” (young prodigy) recently won the DHL Worldwide Exported Award, which allowed her to showcase her Spring/Summer 2015 collection at New York Fashion Week. This was also her American debut, as well as an introduction to her menswear collection.

Spring/Summer 2015 was inspired by the image of a bird in a polluted surrounding. Francesca wanted to take an image of a bird with a lot of plastic in its stomach and can no longer grab fish from the sea; and put a positive twist on that reflection. We see silhouette influences of retro 1970s mixed with elements of the Far West. The womenswear seems to be more baggy and layered, while still maintaining femininity with soft color palettes; while the menswear looks to be more tailored with darker hues. The designer also included her backpack and handbag collection, as well as powerful legwear. Sticking to her concept of nature, Francesca created the collection using more natural fabrics, such as: leather, suede, silk and cotton. For the menswear, I loved the use of shirt with a wing-tip collar, a plain white button-front top with ruffle detail and a suit jacket with ruffle detail on the sleeves. The womenswear had very unique shapes with edgy detailing (and styling)…not to mention a killer black jacket with pleated ruffle on the sleeves.

Fashion Shenzhen – NYFW September 2014

Jan 11 2015

Fashion Shenzhen first made its debut in New York in 2013, gaining worldwide recognition for the Chinese designers debuting their collections. The Fashion Shenzhen platform was derived from China’s southern city- Shenzhen, which is said to also lead the country in terms of the fashion industry. The city is currently home to over 800 brands, 2,500 clothing companies and 30,000 employees. The three designers that exhibited their collections during NYFW were just a taste of the talent coming from Shenzhen and its surrounding regions.

Ellassay was the first brand to present looks down the Spring/Summer 2015 runway. The design team drew inspiration from Martha Graham, the ‘Mother of Modern Dance’ and titled the collection- “The Graceful Artist.” The collection was meant to emphasize not only dance, but also strength, movement and balance. The collection opened with dresses, tops and skirts in black and white grid print in knit and jaquards. It then transitioned to more softer dresses, tunics and corresponding cigarette pants in warm champagne-hued jacquards. The collection concluded with striking electric blue and semi-transparent dresses.

Ren Xin launched her upscale brand- Lizzy in 1997. The brand has since been a go-to for Chinese consumers. Ren’s Spring/Summer 2015 collection was titled, “Links to the Deep Blue Sea,” featuring stunning ‘Old Hollywood’ meets ‘pageantry’ evening gowns in frothy, luxurious fabrics and embellished in Swarovski crystals and elaborate beading. My favorite piece was the jaw-dropping chiffon mermaid dress with crystals and layered blue tail.

Haiping Xie’s “Asian Zen” presentation was visually intense and my personal favorite. The silk gowns amazed in pops of royal blue, pearly white and flaming orange. He focused not only on digital dragon and cloud prints, but dramatic sculptured bustles and shimmery overlays as well.

Overall, the Fashion Shenzhen designers brought their ‘A-game,’ showing the latest trends in ready-to-wear and evening wear through the eyes of Asian culture and influences.

Tag - Spring/Summer 2015