Project Runway season 8 veteran Nicholas D'Aurizio held his runway show for Nico Lena at the chic Chelsea Art Museum on Tuesday, February 15th.
While the pre-show reception was a smash, the line was less than stellar. Not just bad, but confusing. Mr. D'Aurizio's collection went from club kiddish shiny fabrics to more sedate dresses and separates while not quite mastering either. It seems that he is in that grey area that many reality stars fall into: getting attention, but not quite deserving it.
The decision to show at a venue like the Chelsea Art Museum shows this. A smaller, less ambitious room may have been more forgiving, but in that bright white space the clothing and somewhat inexperienced models really showed. There were too many seats, and not enough bodies to fill them. There were goodie bags galore, but they were filled with cheap cosmetics from Target. This was an attempt to present Nicholas D'Aurizio as a serious designer, and it didn't work. It was as if he were trying to be something he isn't.
Why? The taste level just wasn't there. The draping and ruching in some of the pieces wasn't quite working. Mr. D'Aurizio doesn't have the deft hand that is needed for such work. The tweed sheaths were fine, but the problem comes when he adds crocheted pieces to necks or arms. A dress with chiffon draped and tucked top with monster fur skirt was unflattering. It made the model look like a furry barrel.
Heavier wool items such as a raspberry mini-dress with a bustier top and a green suit with cropped jacket and skorts didn't fit and didn't move well with the model's body. Wide legged trousers dragged and bunched at the model's feet, and the chenille textured sweater the trousers were paired with looked awkward.
Everything was just off enough to make the collection a deeply puzzling one. Questions like- why did no one tell him? Or, does he really think this is good? came to mind. Good advice, research, or just taking a step back can be invaluable when a collection starts to go wrong. Judging from what was shown on the runway, Mr. D'Aurizio had none of these options.
While the sliders were much enjoyed, those were eaten before seeing the show. We left the goodie bag right where we found it, so as not to feel badly for what we planned to write. Auf Wiedersehen.
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