Monday, February 14, 2011

Best of New York Fashion Week

Mandy Coon FW11

by Grace Gordon

It’s easy to get enthusiastic about big name designers showing in the tents, but the real treat comes when an emerging designer gets their moment in the spotlight. All eyes are on Mandy Coon right now. She only has a few fashion shows under her belt, but that hasn’t stopped her from becoming a recent recipient of the coveted Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award.

The much-anticipated show started out with one stern and gothic look after the other – which is odd given Coon’s typical lightness and wit. However, this was to make the point that she has matured as a designer, and her more grown-up designs definitely worked here.

Coon made use of leather in the majority of her looks from bib dresses and skirts to scoop-neck tops. Faux fur was used beautifully to enhance outerwear. In one especially awesome case, Coon used faux fur to create a calf-length dress with leather bodice.

It’s lovely to see someone progress so far from one collection to the next, and this season Coon has graduated from the shallow end of the pool to the deep end. It’s no wonder she was listed, back in August, as one of our favorite designers to watch.