I look forward to Tadashi Shoji’s shows for many reasons. His designs are wearable. The gowns are seldom too tight, too transparent, too short, too revealing or over the top. It’s highly likely that you’ll feel fab AND comfortable wearing a Tadashi Shoji piece (bear that in mind when you next look for formalwear). I often fit Tadashi Shoji gowns onto my clients so it’s fun to see his catwalk designs six months before they hit the stores. However, the collection that Tadashi shows at Fashion Week is just a fraction of the designs that end up at retail. This legendary designer is successful and prolific!
The flavour of this collection took me straight back to the ’20s, 30s and ’40s. Very retro, glam and oh-so-different to the body conscious items that have been on the catwalks and in stores for many seasons. Although these aren’t my favourite fashion eras, I can certainly appreciate the vibe and am all for it.
Tadashi usually incorporates a lot of neutrals, metallics and pastels into his collections, and this season was no different. Yet colours like red, dark cobalt and bottle green featured just as strongly and made for a nice change. Even Mr. Shoji wore an orange pullover over an apple green top for his show. Colour continues to be a strong theme in fashion at the moment.
His designs are generally soft, feminine and romantic. The fabrications ranged from wispy chiffons and satins, to stretchy mesh, crepes and all sorts of velvet. And OF COURSE there is lots of lace. Lace edging, lace trim, lace fabrication and lace overlaid onto mesh.
I liked how ruffles took a backseat in favour of tiers and pleats. There were countless tiers on these designs and I loved the way they added a graceful movement to the garments. Seeing them in motion made them look even better. I also appreciated the hem length variations. The shortest dress was just a little above the knee, while the rest were knee-length, midi or maxi. Some of the hemlines were asymmetrical.
The variation in bodice styling was also great. Some were very fitted, while others blousoned with a typical ’20s dropped waist effect. It was a breath of fresh air to see dresses with sleeves, high necklines and intricate back detailing. I also enjoyed the ombre skirts, the low hair buns on the models, waistless silhouettes and sandals worn with dainty hosiery.
The gown below was my favourite gown of the collection. It was not the most eye catching runway design, but its classic and retro integrity will stand the test of time. I would happily make space for it in my own wardrobe, wearing it with a pile of chunky pearls, sheer textured black hose and bright red shoes for formal occasions. Perhaps mixing it up with ballet flats and a faded denim jacket for a more casual occassion. Matching it with low heeled cream booties and a cropped leather jacket would also tickle my fancy. I really want that frock.
Go to our New York Fashion Week Page to see all of our coverage, including a photo stream and live Twitter updates from Angie.
