Daily Front Row

2010 September 16

Runway Reviews: Anna Sui, Zang Toi, Odd Molly

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Anna Sui Spring 2011
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(NEW YORK) ANNA SUI
Anna Sui chose the iconic background from Days of Heaven to set the stage for her Spring 2011 show. She delivered a series of gorgeous and feminine prairie dresses with Victorian lace detailing alongside granny square and afghan crocheted ponchos and sweeping sweaters, flare trousers, ruffled apron dresses, and feather-trimmed skirts. She used a neutral palette of bisque and cream with the occasional paisley print and patchwork. The secret to Sui's success? Her ability to blend nostalgic reminders of the turn of the century with the coming of age innocence of the 1970s and make it work in our fast-paced digital world.

ZANG TOI
Catering to his Texan clientele, Zang Toi delivered a collection worthy of any glamorous Dallas belle. Inspired by the epic film Giant, he structured his show into two parts. It opened with the sexy James Dean-esque cowboy, and cowgirls wore day pieces, like a floor length cinch-waisted coat and tailored wide legged pants with v- neck sweaters. The second portion featured a delicate rose girl, capturing Liz Taylor’s 1960s beauty with dramatic sweeping garden print gowns, floral tight sweaters and embellished capes. 

ODD MOLLY
Setting the mood for Swedish label Odd Molly, Sean Lennon and Charlotte Kemp Muhl’s band, Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, played and provided a dreamy soundtrack. The Spring 2011 collection featured a very 1970s dusty Texas feel with handmade vintage patchwork baby doll dresses layered over pointelle leggings, lace silk tunics, frilled bloomers, and hand crocheted cardigans. There was a naïveté and innocence to their lingerie inspired-pieces; it almost felt like a young teen raided her mother’s closet to find bits of old fabric and leftover lace to create beautiful and original feminine pieces in an expression of her teenaged individuality.