Daily Front Row

2010 February 17

Runway Reviews: Vera Wang, Max Azria

Vera Wang, Fall 2010
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(NEW YORK) Vera Wang
Dark was light and airy at Vera Wang’s runway show as the designer celebrated the midnight hour. The collection was an exploration of black as more than just a color, but rather its inherent texture, volume, composition and sensibility. Wang illustrated a dark romance, roughing up her scalloped organza and wool crepe gown with a slight, disheveled touch. Jet black tulle and feathers felt playful, while long gloves and bold, detailed shoulders were sophisticated and powerful. While glamorous to the end, Wang did tone down the opulence, opting for black twill jackets and baggy trousers. Clean lines, blazers and wool pants never once felt over-masculine, but rather echoed Wang’s signature super feminine style. Rows of pearls messily tossed on grounded the looks, illustrating Wang’s delicate film noir.

Max Azria
Max and Lubov Azria focused on minimalism last season, and they have done it again--this time delivering a subtle, quiet collection characteristic of gentle beauty. The thirty-six looks were darkly sophisticated, and aubergine and beige hues injected movement into the much more simplistic, toned down designs. A taupe wool boucle coat paired with a taupe silk dress was seemingly simple in its structure, but very bold, all at once. Azria described that the goal was to highlight a woman’s strength and sensuality, while taking pains to create garments that are utterly unfussy. Azria noted, “It is a minimalist collection and it’s less formal. In that sense, it’s very architectural and it makes a woman extremely strong, sexy, and ready to go anywhere.”