Kara Laricks presented her designs in an industrial space by Pier 57. Her spring 2013 collection featured a great blend of feminine designs with a modern, masculine twist. Cocktail dresses, sheer tailcoats, sleek rompers, and cuffed trousers were all present in Larick’s collection. In the dimly lit space, all of the designs appeared to be chic and clean cut, but when the shadows disappeared and the sun lighted the space, a few of the designs lost points on the chic-o-meter. At first glance Laricks’ sophisticated short sleeved black dress was admirable. It boasted a great spot of color: a yellow collar and a gray tuxedo line that ran down the front of the dress, boasting a number of buttons. However, in the light, the design appeared more school teacher frumpy than New York Fashion Week chic.
Laricks embraced masculinity by adding oversized collars and bowties to the majority of her designs and where there were no actual collars, there was an outline of one sewn onto the clothes as an innovative substitute.
All of the pieces had a sophisticated flair; not too short nor too revealing. Her rompers were a versatile alternative to the little black dress and could easily be worn from the office to a cocktail party. Versatility and innovation is crucial for a ready to wear collection and Laricks proved just how well she could do both with her S/S ’13 collection.
