Monday, February 14, 2011

Best of New York Fashion Week

Victoria Beckham FW11

by Grace Gordon

Victoria Beckham is not a traditional designer. She didn’t go to school for pattern making or intern at Vivienne Westwood. She never slogged her designs around to department stores, or sweated under the pressure of hand stitching her garments the night before her first big order was due. Yet, her style pedigree has made her a remarkably good designer, given that she designs for real women and pays attention to the shape of trends to come. She is a designer who approaches fashion from her own experience with it.

This season, her collection was exemplified by beautiful shapes and silhouettes. Cocoon ponchos in prismatic snakeskin-inspired prints held their own next to sweeping gowns and toppers in blunt cut fabrics. She embraced the same minimalist designs that we have seen elsewhere on the FW11 runway, but with a heightened sense of sophistication and tailoring. Her monochrome looks were bright and simple, yet expertly cut. One gets a feeling of fluidity and movement from the dresses and skirts in this collection.

Some of the best looks were a neutral gathered blouse, a pale beige pashmina (elegantly wrapped and strapped down around the waist with a belt), a structured cowl neck dress, and a stunning floor-length red gown. This collection was overwhelmingly sleek, but this belied a hushed sexiness to the form and fit of each garment. This show, like her others, has legitimized Victoria Beckham as a trustworthy fashion designer.