FASHION

Vera Wang

“Vera Wang” can be a few bureaucratic steps away from being used as a synonym of “heightened feminine elegance” by the Oxford Dictionary. Not in reality, but everyone believes it. Wang’s F/W proposal was somewhat different to her previous offerings, although she’s always had an affinity for sportswear being a competitive figure skater in her youth.

The collection opened with nine black looks consisting of cropped tops, midi-skirts and bomber jackets in gazar, silk and technical mesh that contributed to the transparency of the looks that compensated the austerity of the dark color. As the collection developed, Wang turned on the light on bright colors for her dressier pieces that still maintained a very athletic feel (note the racerback gown), whilst adding on ultra-feminine touches like the floral sequin embroidery or the corsage of petals on the shoulders and arms.

As this was a Wang show, complexity and depth of textures were not omitted. The technical details of the after-dark looks would make any seamstress and patternmaker swoon (or cry): chiffon, raffia lace, gazar and silk in similar tonalities and differing cuts brought that trompe d’oeil that the designer is so well-known for. Through a palette of black and white warmed with strong reds, blues and bright yellows, Wang brought a couture allure to athletic looks without compromising neither elegance not exquisiteness.

Sept. 16, 2013