It was impossible to turn a blind eye to Alexandre Herchcovitch's Fall '13 runway show, a study in turning exaggerated abstractionism into restrained romanticism. Herchcovitch's presentation at MILK Studios on Saturday was attended by notables DJ/model Leigh Lezark, Sex and the City stylist Patricia Field, Fern Mallis and Ken Downing, amongst others.
Known for his avant-garde designs, Herchvovitch said this season's line was inspired by blossoming flowers. “Flowers, flower petals, and the way [flowers] slowly die and the petals fall apart,” Herchcovitch told Fashionista. “That was the main idea by showing the jackets and the dresses falling over the skirts.”
The Brazilian designer began the show with a set of cashmere dresses with an overstated peplum design in ivory, cherry red and rust. He coupled this with silk separates in bright colors and more structured cocktail dresses in both bold colors and floral print.
The next set of looks were full of hyperbolic dresses, skirts and tops in floral print, stripes or sometimes both. The silk, knee-length dresses featured a small peplum at the waist in a different pattern than the full skirt and the bodice. Some dresses were worn with a matching (though differently patterned) bolero jacket on top.
For the last few looks, Herchcovitch sent his models down the runway blindfolded in the fabric they were wearing. The construction of many of the pieces was innovative and unexpected yet completely wearable.
Standouts included a lingerie-inspired ivory bra top paired with an ivory pencil skirt with larger-than-life ruffles pouring down from the waist like a cascading waterfall. Another was an ivory and black striped silk dress that was belted at the waist, but was undone on one side, revealing a matching striped bra top.
Models walked the runway with just a bit of eye color and hair that was straight and slicked back on one side and braided on the other, creating a different look from two angles.
At the end of the show, the audience erupted in a rapturous applause and congratulatory praise.
Additional reporting by Alexandra Finkel
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