On April 13, 2013, Metropolitan Fashion Week (Bellevue-Seattle) held it’s Closing Gala at The Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum in downtown Seattle, WA.
The show opened with Mily Lu’s “Navigation Girls”. She styled them to look like walking Chihuly art pieces, as they strutted the runway wearing her latest shoe creations from the Milylu Design - 2013 Collection.
The “Navigation Girls” were followed by Women’s & Men’s Swimwear. The women wore designs by Niveen Heaton of Adicora Swimwear. With neon being the primary color palette of this collection, it had a very ‘go-go girl’ feel to it. Luckily, the designer paired earth-tone colored, azulejo prints with neon solids, which toned down the brightness and youngness of the designs, making the swimsuits more wearable for a more sophisticated lady. The men wore swimsuit designs by UnderU4Men. And I didn’t see one men’s swimsuit that I didn’t like.
Following the swimsuits, international designer, Ezra Santos ( ezrafashiondesign.com ), debuted his collection. The flagship of this collection was definitely the first dress he sent down the the runway. A blended, white and turquoise-green, full-length, sequin gown, with high, exaggerated, shoulders and an open back; this gown had me watching in awe. Every dress in this collection was well made, well structured, and well designed. The silhouette could be seen in every dress, except the last which was my favorite. The last dress had a top that looked liked body paint paired with a bronze colored billowing full length skirt, all of which tied together with a copper colored waistband.
After prefatory remarks from the event organizers, Eduardo Khawam, Niveen Heaton, and Amy Yamada, the show continued with the following designers showcased (in order of appearance):
Julie Danforth - juliedanforthdesign.com
Jim Tanner - thefinerie.com
Christopher Collins - christophercollinscollection.com
Juleano - juleano.com
Dar Sara Fashion - dasara.com
Julie Danforth sent 12 creations down the runway. Of the 12, two of the looks caught my eye. The eighth dress, an ivory white gown with a three inch slit at the bust, was a perfect example of flawless simplicity. It doesn’t take a lot to make a strong dress. The ninth dress, a jewel-toned blue and purple, mid-length dress that buttoned in the back, was my second favorite from this collection. This dress was edgy and fun, yet wearable - what more can a girl ask for.
The next designer, Jim Tanner, had a collection composed of mostly men’s fashions. Men’s fashion, as a rule of thumb, is challenging. There’s only so many ways you can reinvent a suit, jacket, pants, or shirt. Jim Tanner did it by using embroidered fabrics, with the colors white-on-white or black-on-black. Festive is the first thought that entered my head when I saw this collection, maybe a bit too festive was my my second thought. It’s not that the fashions aren’t wearable, but they’re really only appropriate for the holidays with the exception of one item. Jim Tanner’s fifth look, a black, men’s dress shirt with white corners at the collar, and white piping along the button line, got my ‘I gotta have it’ vote. This shirt can make any man look fashionable. It’s all because of the ‘details’; it’s the ‘details’ that makes for good men’s fashion.
Christopher Collins’ collection consisted of eight looks, the fourth being his strongest look. It was a one shouldered, full length, dress with a black top and a sheer, 60s inspired, tan and maroon print bottom, that moved with the wind as it came down the runway.
Designer Juleano had the most diversified collection of all of the designers. His eleven piece collection consisted of both men’s and women’s fashions, outerwear, swimwear, and separates. The seventh look he sent down the runway was my favorite, a blue and ash colored dress. I wish I would have taken a picture, because the reason why I fell in love with this dress is not in my notes. But I did give it three star rating.
There were only three dresses in the entire show that received a three star rating. Juleano’s seventh look being the first. The other two came from the Dar Sara collection. Dar Sara easily had the most impressive collection of all the designers with 24 different looks. The ninth look in this collection, a peachy colored gown with sails at the sides, received my second three star rating. I love a well made dress that can fly. The thirteenth look, a short bejeweled and embroidered gold dress, made my heart skip a beat. As did the twenty-first look, a black and turquoise blue, spaghetti- strap dress, with a layered full-length, bottom. My last three star rating goes to the last dress in this collection, a black medusa dress that would stop any man or woman for that matter dead in their tracks. The Dar Sara collection was a perfect ending to a perfect fashion show.
The following link will take you to highlights from the show: Highlights from 2013 Metropolitan Fashion Week Closing Gala at the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum.
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