As Olympus Fashion Week kicked off, designers limited fur to sleeves and collars, while focusing on hats, gloves and jewelry as the main accessories for the fall and winter 2005 collections. \nThis season, accessories will become the driving force behind creations by Baby Phat, "Project Runway" and Kenneth Cole. Clothing brought few surprises, as designers showed collections that will keep consumers warm while providing style in the cold winter months. Cole began the week with social concern, while "Project Runway" left guests talking about contestant Kara Suan and which contender would walk away with enough money to start a new line.
Richard Tyler\nAustralian-born designer Richard Tyler presented a new flight attendant look for Delta Airlines, which seeks to reinvigorate the company's image. Delta approached Tyler in 2003, and the result is a line consisting of the traditional lines and cuts, but with a more tailored modern look. \nModels wore red-treated taffeta wrap dresses, heathered wool cashmere reversed-darted jackets with skirts and Richard Tyler asymmetric slingbacks. The uniforms for the collection were made to double as business wear and day clothing. \n"They wanted a fresh new look to go with the new image Delta is trying to get across," said In Flight supervisor Juan Peralta. "The image is classy, sophisticated, inviting and welcoming." \nThe employees of Delta will not don the new uniforms until Feb. 24, and many of them attended the show clapping and shouting every time a model in uniform came down the runway. \nDebbie Roeber, a Delta flight attendant, said she enjoyed the midnight-blue silk crepe wrap dress wth red trim and a red belt. \n"I loved them, I can't wait to wear them." Roeber said. \nAlong with women's uniforms, Tyler also created a men's version. The uniforms for male flight attendants include tailored wool suits with gold or red silk ties, stretch cotton shirts and wool peacoats. Tyler also presented midnight-blue crewneck sweaters, white cotton dress shirts with french cuffs, flat- front pants and hooded coats. \nThe show didn't end with the uniforms but continued with couture gowns designed by Tyler. The gowns varied in style, but were unified by the silk tulle and organza materials used to make them. One such dress was a strapless lavender hand-tucked gown that was fitted at the bodice and gently came down to make a full floor length skirt. Looks included a champagne asymmetric cutout dress worn with serpentine sandals, a silver organza strapless tiered petal dress and a hand-tucked silk tulle strapless gown with beaded detail.
'Project Runway'\nCameras were rolling Friday afternoon as four unknown designers made their dreams come true on the hit television show "Project Runway." Judged by designer Michael Kors, actress Parker Posey and Elle magazine Editor Roberta Myers, the taping was the final showdown in a long line of fashion competitions. Kara Saun, Wendy Pepper, Austin Scarlett and Jay McCarroll debuted their first runway collections in front of an eager audience in the Bryant Park tents. Program host Heidi Klum told the audience although four designers showed collections, judges had already eliminated one of them. The audience was left guessing which collection was being shown in vain. \nScarlett was first to present his designs. His collection was inspired by late-18th century fashion.\n"I wanted to capture the true American spirit of fashion and style," Scarlett said. "My inspiration was life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." \nPieces were tailored and included a tweed knee-length day dress that exposed the chest resembling a corset, atop a ruffled white blouse with a matching bolero jacket. Models strutted to "Yankee Doodle" clad in blue velveteen jackets and red velveteen evening trousers with knee-high boots. Though the first few ensembles kept the audience's eyes on the runway, a hush came over the crowd when a model stepped onto the runway wearing a hand quilted scarlet satin evening dress. The strapless dress did not fit the model's chest, but it reflected Austin's creativity and skill. \nSaun was the second to show her creations, and afterward the talk was of nothing else. A graduate of Rutgers University, Saun majored in communication and is a self-taught designer. Her collection, titled "Fantasy Fly Girl," was inspired by aviators and everything sexy, she said. \n"My collection is all about the thing I am passionate about," Saun said. "Sinkable luxury, a woman so sexy she sucked the air out of a room."\nGuests voiced their approval as models strutted in pieces from Saun's collection. The first look was a fuchsia cracked patent-leather aviator jacket with a leather tie belt and rust-colored chinchilla fur collar and sleeve trim worn with brown leather jodhpurs and an aviator hat and goggles, which got a rise out of the audience. "She is hot" ran the crowd like wildfire as models showed a white quilted-leather jacket with fur trim, a lime-green short bow-tie dress with a green leather corset and a rust leather pencil skirt. The show-stopper was a low-cut multi-colored hand-beaded evening gown with a gold metallic middle worn with a magenta fox shrug. \n"Kara Saun was incredible," said Parson's School of Design professor Salvatore Cesarani. "It was very 1930s-1940s glamour. It was brilliant for someone so young to re-interpret it for today. by far it was very unique." \nPepper's collection was next, but before the audience saw her collection she warned them. \n"I am a mom from Virginia and this has made my dream of becoming a fashion designer come true," she said. \nPepper's collection was lackluster but included some pieces that could be worn with style. She presented a plum silk jersey tunic worn with brown suede flared pants, a shocking pink three-quarter sleeved collared dress with a tailored bodice and a knee length layered skirt with a train in back. The shocker to the more conservative line was a ruffled incandescent sheer blouse revealing the breast of the model wearing it. Pepper's collection received meager applause. \nCarroll had an original collection, and instead of making a speech before the showing he let the audience make up their own minds.\n"I will let my clothes speak for themselves," he said.\nCarroll's inspiration was music being used to explore stereotypes. Each model strutted with earmuffs that looked like headphones. Each look was named after the color of the pieces. "Gold" consisted of a quilted wrap turtleneck sweater, striped tank and a sequined skirt with geometric appliqué. "Lavender" was an outfit made up of a translucent rain straightjacket and a metallic cowl-neck top. The last piece, titled "Pink," was made up of a shell necklace, stitched v-neck top, shredded skirt, leather corset and feather shrug. \nThe program's winner will receive $100,000 to launch a line, a mentorship with Banana Republic and a photo shoot for Elle magazine.\nDesigners were informed of the winner on Friday night, but the world must wait until Feb. 23. The "Project Runway" finale will air at 9 p.m. on Bravo.
Baby Phat \nAs one of the most anticipated shows of the year, the clothes and the events surrounding the show gave guests something to talk about. The Fall 2005 Baby Phat was packed to capacity and filled with celebrities such as Shannen Doherty, Ashley Olsen, Carson Daly, rappers Cameron and Jim Jones of the Diplomats, Lil' Kim, Suede Editor in Chief Suzanne Boyd, Tori Spelling and more. \nThe runway towered over the audience as models stepped out in short tweed shorts, lace leggings, kilt miniskirts and cuffed jeans. Fur shrugs and green dominated the runway as models walked in flat-front green-and-brown tweed pants, denim mini skirts with a knee length white stain underlay. Coats with oversized fur collars and fur trim on the sleeves were also included in the show, as well as shriner-style hats with leather straps around the hat or tassels that fell down to the knees. Suits in the show were made up of cropped jackets, flare leg slacks with ribbon detail on the behind. Each modeled carried a Baby Phat case emphasizing the use of luxurious fabrics in street wear.
Kenneth Cole\nAs guests got comfortable in their seats, they saw a mini movie and got a lesson on what it means to work for Kenneth Cole. The short, which included Roger Bart repeating sayings coined by Cole such as: "What you stand for is more important than what you stand in" and "To be aware is more important than what you wear." Each line ended with Bart referring to Cole as the author of the maxim. The humor made light of the serious problems Cole addressed in the film such as the AIDS epidemic and homelessness. \nSimplicity with a modern edge was the driving force behind the fall 2005 Cole collection. Models wore turtlenecks and pants in cranberry, green and blue. Cole dropped the waist on many of his men's jackets giving the leather coats an '80s feel. Coats dominated the runway as a reflection of Cole's efforts "to cover up the homeless problem." \n"Ken is one of the few designers who marries a strong business with a strong social conscience and that came out in the show," said news anchor Paula Zahn. \nCoats were decorated with fur trim on the hood and were paired with slouchy cardigans in plum, cranberry and bark. Male models wore smoking cardigans, cowl neck sweaters, motor boots and driving gloves. The emphasis was on stylish warmth for winter. Female models were clad in long cardigans paired with long pleated and tulip-shaped skirts worn with leather and suede short boots. The show was true to Cole's sense of functional clothing with a stylish edge. \n-- Contact Asst. Arts Editor Patrice Worthy at pworthy@indiana.edu.
