Following in the stylish footsteps of Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B, Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora teams up with designer/musician Nikki Lund to produce a rockin' line of day and eveningwear called White Trash Beautiful. And it was actually good.
Having been a fan of Mr. Sambora's band for ages, it was a definite 'yes' when receiving the invitation. At the very worst, it was a chance to see a favorite celebrity. Actually seeing the clothes was secondary. I was pleasantly surprised by how important the clothing turned out to be.
Definitely not a publicity stunt or afterthought, WTB was a well thought out and tightly curated collection of rock and roll edgy classics. Much like the leggings and leather jacket looks at Balenciaga, Ms. Lund and Mr. Sambora concentrated on sexy jackets paired with drainpipe trousers, both extremely flattering to more curvy figures. They used sumptuous fabrics like leathere. sheepskin, silk, and chiffon. Very luxe, and also incredibly accessible.
In addition to hard edged pieces, there was a sweet, frilly sleeveless tunic in a bright aquamarine color that would work well with a variety of skin tones. The line comes off as sophisticated and stylish, with two knockout evening looks: an evening jacket with ruffled standup collar that brings the Victorian era to mind, and a silver silk strapless gown with mermaid style tulle overlay.Very 50's bombshell.
All in all, it was a classy collection. If you were looking for trashy or skanky, there wasn't much of that in evidence. Two gowns were right on the line of stripperishness, but in a line called White Trash Beautiful, they were the exception not the norm. Ms. Lund and Mr. Sambora definitely brought the fashion for Style 360's NYFW finale. I look forward to seeing what they do next season!
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