Phoenix Fashion Week 2015 ended on a high note Saturday night. Altogether, I thought it was one of the best culmination of shows I had seen in a long time. There was a nice variety of designs, each showcasing a unique perspective. The Phoenix Fashion Week team has listened to the feedback that others have given them and delivered an event that was worthy of being called the best fashion event in Arizona.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Emerging Designers
Azmara Asefa
Azmara Asefa nailed her futuristic modern warrior aesthetic at Saturday night’s show. Inspired by the classic novel Brave New World, Asefa uses her background in architecture to create modern day armor to help women face whatever personal apocalypse they are facing that day. Her use of color, interesting fabrics and modern shapes created a collection could fit in on the streets of LA or donned by enthusiasts at comic con. The Beltshazzar jewels used this time enhanced the looks versus covering them up like at Shop Garment District, and helped illustrate the friction between the man-made modernity of the future and the organic nature of the past – the two opposing worlds in the novel.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Leola Sky
Overall, Leola Sky had some decent pieces, but the variety of looks shown left the audience confused about who the customer was and how each piece worked with the next. I asked our photographer for a selection of looks that I think fit more cohesively than the rest of the show, because there was some merit to these designs.
When you put a collection together, you must consider the collection as a whole unit made up of unique, but integrated pieces. I often believe designers have so many ideas bouncing around in their heads that it can be hard to narrow it down to one complete thought. But, it’s extremely important to consider how your collection will look on a rack in the store. Will it look like it is all meant to go together? Or, will it look like a miss- match of items on the sale rack?
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Hues of Ego
Just when you thought local favorite, Hues of Ego couldn’t possibly get any better, Natasha proves you hadn’t seen anything yet. The designer’s Phoenix Fashion Week 2014 showcase was absolutely outstanding, but this new collection for 2015 is a whole new level. The thought and detail that went into the designing, styling, and show production was absolutely phenomenal.
Not only did Hues of Ego produce a fantastic runway show, she also showed some extremely wearable pieces like the white tank shown below that is cropped in the front, and long in the back (need asap!). I also loved the mustard and burgundy pieces in the collection that added a level of sophistication to the fantasy like pinks and whites we’ve seen in the past. Buyers, this is a collection you should add to your store immediately before this designer is discovered by the likes of Barneys or Intermix.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Michelle Hébert with Clutch Crowns
Michelle Hébert’s show was absolutely breathtaking. Just like her debut in 2013 (see photos here), her show was full of fantasy and elegance. This show however had a level of craftsmanship I had not yet seen from the designer. These gowns looked gorgeous both in person and in photographs, not an easy task I assure you. I also loved the pieces of lingerie that started off the show, allowing every girl to have a little piece of Hébert’s collection, even if you don’t have anywhere to wear a gown.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Couture Designer of the Year: Hues of Ego
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Congratulations Natasha! You absolutely deserve this award after your endless hours of hard work and dedication to your brand. I cannot wait to see what is next for Hues of Ego, and wish you the best of luck. This is just the beginning of your success.
People’s Choice Designer of the Year: Lily V Designs
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Phoenix Fashion Week awarded one last designer of the year title, the People’s Choice. With a slew of social media campaigns encouraging their network to vote for them, the audience got to have a real input into who would be the final designer to showcase their collection on Evine Live, a home shopping network for TV personalities such as Lisa Vanderpump and Paula Dean. Congrats Lily! I can’t wait to see you go live.
Established Designers
Design Me
Design Me started off the established designer portion of the show in what was probably one of my favorite Phoenix Fashion Week shows ever. The whole show was well crafted, unique, and beautiful. It wasn’t over the top glitzy like most of the couture designers we see on Saturday night of Phoenix Fashion Week. To me, this was a true fashion show. Clean, beautiful, and original. I absolutely hope to see more designers like this in the coming years of Phoenix Fashion Week.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Glenn Plaid
Glenn Plaid showcased next, showing a series of made to measure menswear for the modern man running around town. The fit was spot on and the models looked great. One of my favorite pieces was the red double breasted coat, although I think if that was hanging in my man’s closet, I might have to just steal it for myself (wouldn’t be the first time).
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Albert Andrada
Albert Andrada was one of those flashy and glitzy designers that we are so used to seeing. His pieces were beautiful and the crowd loved the sparkle, but to me it seemed the audience forgot the show after the lights went back down. Some of my favorite pieces were the ones that were architecturally interesting like the kimono white dress or opening asymmetrical piece. These looks were more than just pretty sparkly dresses and really added some visual interest to the otherwise prom-like collection.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Rocky Gathercole
Rocky Gathercole closed the show with another stunning collection of his wearable art. There were, of course, the cages and sparkly body suits that the crowd loves, but I was pleasantly surprised to see more red-carpet worthy gowns and jumpsuits. When this designer pulled back from the over the top fantasy, he created a look that was absolutely jaw-dropping, with an audience and occasion in mind. I absolutely loved the stark black and white contrast in his pieces, and thought his use of embellishment was stunning as always.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Well, that’s all darlings. Another year of Phoenix Fashion Week has come and gone. Overall, I was extremely impressed with both the emerging designers, and the established designers that flew into town for the event.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
What did you think? Share your favorite and least favorite moments with me via Twitter @SuburbsCouture.
And, of course, we can’t thank our sponsors enough for helping us look our very best this year!
Be sure to check out Crush Boutique and The Sparkle Bar for all your fashion & beauty needs.
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Photo courtesy of Almanza Photography
Please credit both Almanza Photography and Couture in the Suburbs when sharing photos from this post.
