Titania Inglis' Fall/Winter 2012 show for New York Fashion Week expertly recaptured that somber/uplifting feeling of the early 90s. Before attendants were even seated, the soundtrack was unmistakable: the La's, James, The Cure. Your reporter was transported back to cruising down Greenville Avenue, with 94.5 The Edge on the radio. Of all the collections she saw this Fashion Week, Ms. Inglis' made her the most sentimental.
What were you doing in the early 90s, when every band aspired to be grunge and even The Gap was churning out flannel shirts by the truckload? Titania Inglis, who is 32, was evidently soaking up all the pop culture influences that era had to offer. Her Fall/Winter 2012 show referenced the standard Doc Martens and plaid flannel - there was an especially impressive ball skirt made entirely of the latter. However, there was more to the collection than just coffeehouses and Pearl Jam - little nihilistic touches; such as thin bondage straps, seeming black leather, exposed zippers and wedge booties created an industrial, end-of-the-world feel.
Held at Eyebeam Art + Technology Center, the show began after attendants had settled in among a soundscape of emo/alternative tunes, courtesy of Depeche Mode, Bjork, and Bronski Beat. Models glided down a pockmarked, poured concrete runway. There was a geometric black sleeveless mini-dress, the top of which looked appealingly like one big panel. There was a black coat that drew murmurs from the crowd, with a wide collar and asymmetrical zipper set off by leather accent strips. And, for the last look, there was a hooded coat with a striking beige interior.
After all that work, the show was over with in under fifteen minutes.
"That was very cohesive," observed one onlooker. "Yah, yah," replied her companion.
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