The San Francisco based Academy
The opening collection was rendered in sandy hues of taupe, mauve, and beige. Beautiful cocktail dresses and tailored suits with angular shoulders brought to mind the uniform of a Star-trek commander. A fluid bias cut evening dress rendered in silver seemed to liquidate down the runway.
The next collection was menswear; an ode to the color blue in all its cerulean, lapis lazuli and cobalt glory. The clothes were in the vein of the futuristic theme and clean minimalism of the menswear collections seen this season in New York. There were tailored suits executed in linen and gray pants that had a wonderful sheen to them. The trench coats were to die to for, one especially caught my fancy and I felt I could dive into the inky, mottled pattern of deep cobalt and metallic copper that was painted on the garment.
The next collection had minimal cocktail dresses with nifty zips running down the center of the garment. There were photo-print patterns rendered on skirts and blouses. There was a wonderful dress that did double duty as a light coat continuing the front zipper motif; a perfect piece for a dominatrix.
The metallic, heavily embroidered pieces of the following collection had standout Spring coats that got short and jacket like in the front. The Jodhpur pants and overall opulence of the fabric and color was right out of a Punjabi wedding. The dresses were rendered in liquid golds and one got a sense of the weightiness of the fabrics. There were blouses of sunny yellows, and coats executed in shiny pink and silky blue.
There was rigorous talent on display and the collections exhibited a maturity that would rival the work of established designers.
Highlights from the show:
Full collections can be viewed at http://www.fashionschooldaily.com