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Dimmer/D'Vrsi
TRAVIS WELLS
AND LEILA AZAR-KIA
of Dimmer/D'Vrsi showed a collection that was a very balanced
and smart mixture of down-to-earth pieces of womenswear and a strong
selection of suits, jackets, and other menswear pieces. I was most
impressed with their linen pants and jackets combos, tailored shirts
paired with swinging a-line skirts, the equally lovely skirt suit
designs and rose-print daytime dresses. A stand-out design in the
line (for women, anyway) was their pairing of a tailored white shirt
(underneath a shrunken black sweater) with a cream coloured linen
pant. it was modern, youthful, a timeless classic.
For men, there is not enough praise for their
suits. To a man, these suits (if I am correct, they won't be priced
in the stratosphere of, say, a Ralph Lauren Purple Label ensemble)
are worthy investments of your hard-earned money—or your sugar
daddy's money—whichever one you have access to first. This
is just their second collection as a team; and already they have
displayed healthy respect for knowing what sells while holding on
to their sense of design æsthetics.
Kapadia by Romain Kapadia
Romain Kapadia, a 2003 Gen Art International Styles finalist
and the 2003 Fashion Group International Rising Star honoree, is
fascinated with and inspired by the city scenes of ‘New York City
… the styles that emanate from the buildings above, the machinery
below and the people on the streets.’ Since the time of his first
collection, Mr Kapadia has tried to capture the ‘contrasting cultures,
unceasing activity, some of the precision of this chaos, from the
geometric shapes that usher us through the day to the multitude
of personalities that greet us on our journey.’
Born and raised in Texas as the son of Indian
immigrants, Mr Kapadia graduated from the Business and Fashion Design
Program at the University of Texas, Austin in 1998 and immediately
went to work in the fashion industry. After stints with Givenchy
and Enyce, he launched his own line, one that is known for its strong
lines, modern silhouettes and uncompromising tailoring.
For spring 2005, Mr Kapadia was inspired by his
memories of his prep school days after having attended his class
reunion. Decked out in geekish bow ties and patent leather tuxedo
shoes, his models were the very essence of preppydom with a subversive
twist. This class is in session with cool sweater vests, comfortable
cargo pants, off-kilter cardigans, and lightweight jackets. I also
liked his plaid golf pants and soft, unstructured coats. This collection
was right up my alley: preppy but not too preppy—and a classic
all the way. •
Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor
of Lucire.
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Dimmer/D’Vrsi
    
Kapadia
   
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