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For all-out, knock-them-dead glamour, one only has to see his last four creations. His silk striped ‘Grand Manor Gown’ in ivory–English rose (complete with a pleated organza petticoat and mink borders) was the height of red-carpet chic.

Lucire spring-summer 2003

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   He transitioned quite easily into evening by showing some truly elegant cocktail suits and pant sets. My favourite was his lilac silk–shantung cocktail suit sprinkled with beaded blossoms. It spoke to me. The next five pieces were a variation on the same theme in pink, yellow and brown—all embellished with beaded English blossoms. There was not one misstep in the whole bunch. For those star-filled nights when you have to look your absolute best, Zang Toi has got you covered there, too. There was a slight Spanish–flamenco influence in his brown silk–taffeta "sultry movie star" gown. It's a body-hugging gown that comes complete with an attention-getting fishtail hemline and satin–lace–organza cascading pleats. In this dress, you wow them coming and you wow them going. For all-out, knock-them-dead glamour, one only has to see his last four creations to be won over by his talent. His silk striped ‘Grand Manor Gown’ in ivory–English rose (complete with a pleated organza petticoat and mink borders) was the height of red-carpet chic.
   Beyond the designs themselves, the overall presentation deserves an honorary mention. Between the rose petals scattered on the runway, the vine-covered garden swing at its entrance and the music, one couldn't help but feel a sense of peace. Many guests took advantage of the swing, such as Vanity Fair's Amy Fine Collins who seemed to be having a good time with her daughter. (And the open bar before the show didn't hurt either.) Kudos also goes to make-up maven Bobbi Brown and her crew, and hair stylist Eiji for their contributions to making the show a rousing success.
   The Vera Wang spring–summer 2003 collection proports to be about ‘a fresh, light, nonchalant way of dressing … movement … contrasting tones and textures … and clothes meant to float with the body.’ And more often than not, she succeeded in that quest. She opened the show with a tiered chiffon gown topped by a draped silk jersey bodice—a signature piece that defined her thought process. It was simple yet elegant, very much like her narrow cut black cardigan paired with a waffle weave organza pleated hip-hugger skirt. She delved into the roaring ’20s with some deliciously sexy flapper dresses.
   My favourites include a chiffon pleated shift festooned with miniature crystal balls and a kicky chiffon minidress with a crystal pebble fringe. They were light, and moved well with the body while still maintaining her well-known minimalist æsthetic. I thought her fuschia chiffon hand-smocked halter dress was incredibly beautiful, as were her draped black stretch jersey strapless Grecian dress.
   An instant Vera Wang classic has to be a platinum hand-crocheted peekaboo dress and a sexy crystal swag-beaded gown in the latter part of the show. I say they are classics because they are destined to be more than one-season wonders.
   But there are a few thorns among this beautiful bouquet of roses. Hand-ruching and ruffles played an important role in this collection, and that, ultimately, prevented her from scoring a home run. The vast majority of the collection was so specific in its minimalist œuvre; the ruffles detracted the viewer from their inherent beauty. I've always felt that, unless you are excruciatingly cute and under the age of 12 with cascading blonde curls, a woman has no business in a ruffled garment. There were simply too much of the stuff in the collection: on the shoulder, down the back, on the sleeves. Basta! The pink ruffles eloquently made this point on a strikingly beautiful red floral chiffon gown with lace seam work. It was one piece of embellishment too many.
   The hand-ruching also got out of hand. One of the dresses reminded me too much of that unfortunate Gynneth Paltrow 2002 Academy Awards show incident. She could have also dispersed with several instances where epaulettes (ruffled, no less), lace insets, and other embellishments worked against her in the worse possible way.
   In the final analysis, I liked the collection because I admire Ms Wang and what she is trying to accomplish. Her innate sense of style and elegance made this collection more of a hit than a miss. • Phillip D. Johnson

Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor of Lucire.

 

 

 

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