Paula Hian pays tribute to her favourite modern and pop artists with a colourful fall 2004 collection, competing successfully with New York Fashion Week’s distractions, writes Phillip D. Johnson

PHOTOGRAPHED BY RICHARD SPIEGEL
BACKSTAGE PHOTOGRAPHED BY THE AUTHOR

 DAY AFTER the Paula Hian fall 2004 presentation at Bryant Park, an acquain­tance expressed puzzlement at the designs he saw and asked, ‘Did she forget what season she was designing for?’ Because I am somewhat aware of the thought process that went into creating the collection and her history in the industry, I was able to explain to him what I think it all meant. After listening to the explanations, he exclaimed, ‘Now, why didn't someone put out all this information out there before the show? Now it all makes sense.’ It was at that point that he got it.
   Therein, dear friends, lies Ms Hian’s—and every young designer’s—dilemma. One is never always rewarded for being the first to set out on a course that steers away from what everyone else is doing. And unless you have a bottomless bank account that affords you the very best public relations’ representation and tons of ads in all the fashion rags, it’s easy for a small, emerging designer to get lost in the white noise that overwhelms us all leading up to and during fashion market week in New York City. Calvin Klein, Inc.’s designer, Francisco Costa, abruptly shifted his show date and time without informing anyone (least of all, 7th on Sixth) and it was story number one in WWD and around the tents. The First Lady, Laura Bush, dropped in one day for a visit to promote the Red Dress Project. Not surprisingly, everyone was treated to the sight of bomb-sniffing dogs, Secret Service men speaking into their sleeves and a general air of heightened drama that was well above the usual one has come to expect from the world-weary citizens of the fashion world. How could she compete with any of this?
    Well, she let her designs do the talking for her by sending down the runway a very individualistic collection that was a more than satisfying effort. This collection builds on the legacy she has been creating many years now, but then it goes one further by setting her apart as a designer who has something worthwhile to say and a million and one ways to express each thought.
    Paula Hian’s fall 2004 collection was inspired by the abstract themes that form the foundations of her favourite modern artists such as Jean Dubuffet, Jackson Pollack and Ellsworth Kelly. ‘This collection,’ wrote Ms Hian, ‘is bold and alive. The designs incorporate colour and structure creating an abstract presence [and] remind me of scenic abstract landscapes.’ One of her personal favourites, a jersey cut-up dress with red, navy blue and cream colours with occasional stripes, was inspired ‘by the expressionistic sculptures of Dubuffet.’
   The palette employed by Ms Hian for this collection features vibrant primary colours such as red, yellow, blue, light blue, cream, gold, with an occasional black (with clear emphasis on the word occasional). She has never been a great proponent for black before now, and feeling particularly optimistic, she unleashed the full power of the rainbow and allowed her senses to soar. Her fabrication ranges from rich tweed with nubby (yet soft to the touch) textures, silk crêpe, georgette, satin and various (heavy to light) jerseys. She created this collection with a laser-beam, single-minded mentality that resulted in a very cohesive presentation. She opened the show with a combination sleeveless yellow silk double georgette tee paired with a modified A-line abstract blue tweed-and-yellow wool jersey trim slim skirt. From the every first look, she stuck close to the script in defining her vision. She then followed that up with a sexy knee-length strapless blue tweed dress with a contrasting yellow trim on the bust and a beautiful yellow sequinned silk georgette coat dress that just popped.

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‘This collection,’ wrote Ms Hian, ‘is bold and alive. The designs incorporate colour and structure creating an abstract presence [and] remind me of scenic abstract landscapes’