By Victoria Chin and Ana La O'
Olympus Fashion Week has come to a close, allowing the rest of the world some time to absorb the fall trends while anxiously awaiting the European collections. While most people spent last week making Valentine's Day reservations and dreaming about a President's Day vacation, the fashion world was busy under tents in Bryant Park. Manhattanites, celebrities, and socialites alike bore witness to presentations from industry veterans and welcomed some talented newcomers to the scene. This ambitious group of designers has set a high standard for the Europeans to meet, with an array of prominent trends on the runway. Next fall, expect to see New Yorkers clad in belts that cinch the waist, leggings, one-shouldered frocks, plaids, and items with volume.
Now that we've seen hour upon hour of the designers' efforts, we've picked out the best and brightest from the pool. Each of these designers has the vision, skill, and bravado to go above and beyond in the fashion industry. For their Fall 2006 collections, above and beyond they went, with ravishing displays of ingenuity, elegance, and luxury. These designers have little in common, aside from their Asian heritage and passion for making the world a more beautiful place. From the romanticism of Peter Som to the structured chic of Project Runway's Chloe Dao, there's something for everyone, no matter your taste. And because there is no other name that suits this group quite as well, APA presents the “magnificent seven” in New York fashion.
Peter Som
Som named the Audrey Hepburn classic My Fair Lady as the inspiration for his fall collection. This influence becomes strikingly evident from the romanticism and high-society glamour infused into each piece. Som opened with a luxurious black astrakhan coat that was belted at the waist and trimmed with Mongolian fur. The most wearable pieces were the blouses with high collars and puffed sleeves, skinny pants, skirts of all shapes that grazed the knee, and black translucent stockings. But it was the wide variety of cocktail dresses and evening separates that garnered the most attention. A crushed silk scoop neck tank was cinched at the waist and slightly flared out over a taffeta a-line skirt. There were voluminous skirts in rich silks and brocades and a deliciously prim scoop neck dress with subtle lace detailing and a bow around the waist. The show concluded with a series of floor-length evening gowns with flowing bubble skirts around the hips. Any woman who gets her hands on these pieces will surely be the envy of society girls for years to come. -- Victoria Chin
Anna Sui
Anna Sui continued her reign as the rock & roll queen of fashion this year at Olympus Fashion Week. Her Fall 2006 collection clashes preppy schoolgirl pieces with rock star style, mixing and matching plaids and stripes as well as gold tassels, patent leather, and fur accents. Models paraded the runway-like female reincarnations of Sgt. Pepper Lonely Heart's Club Band in fitted navy crushed velvet jackets layered over silk bell-sleeved blouses and patterned mini skirts and dresses. Sui's collections are always ornate, and this also comes through with her accessories. Her ensembles were paired with nearly opaque tights, chain belts, page boy caps, and antique-inspired beaded and gold necklaces -- accents as bold as her collection's palette of navy, red, burnt orange, and black and white. Sui's fall line is a funky, fun, modernized mix of 1960's mod and 1970's peasant chic that rocks just as hard as your favorite Rolling Stones album. -- Ana La O'
Richard Chai
In his fourth season of ready-to-wear, Chai proved his mastery of the Origami-tailoring techniques that made him famous, and stayed on trend with an array of beautifully draped coats and separates. This collection ventured into new grounds for Chai with its variety of luxe fabrics and textures. The tailored coats stole the show, from the ivory wool coat with bell sleeves and a front slit, to the black ones with deep, shoulder-grazing v-necks, and especially the high-collared plaid ensembles with full skirts. Chai sent out a number of asymmetrical sweaters and cropped skinny pants for day, and for the first time, explored some options for night. There was a black and burgundy jacquard one-shoulder mini-dress, a pleated ivory frock perfect for the office by day and cocktails by night, and a number of flowing, jewel-toned dresses in silk-rosette. While his past collections primarily featured innovative takes on classic sportswear, this one is direct proof that Chai is well on his way to becoming a designer for all occasions. -- Victoria Chin
Mary Ping
Up-and-comer Mary Ping once defined her style as “modern majestic.” With a palette of deep plums, rich creams, and gradations of gray, she followed through with this aesthetic for her Fall 2006 collection. Although the increasingly popular designer got her start in fashion as an intern for the over-the-top Anna Sui, Sui's decadent frills are nowhere to be found in Ping's sophisticated, minimalist line. Ping's New York show featured structured satin and knit mini dresses, skinny pants of velvet and shiny satin, and tailored silk blouses, softened with tiny polka dot patterns and cozy knee length knit coats. Ping's collection exuded simplicity, but was by no means just simple -- patent details and striking contrast piping and lining made solid pieces captivating. Overall, Ping's 2006 fall line boasts (confidently rather than arrogantly) of understated luxury. -- Ana La O'
Phillip Lim
As the former designer for the contemporary line Development, Phillip Lim's first runway collection, 3.1, was one of the most highly anticipated of the season. Though the collection did not seem as unified as many of the others, there were quite a few pretty pieces. He paired chic Bermuda shorts with high-collared blouses, a black velvet blazer with an A-line skirt, and an opulent shearling coat over a gold sequined cocktail dress. Standouts include the navy cocktail dress with couture-like detailing in the lace overlay and the nude floor-length gown with Victorian ruffles along the back. The collection as a whole exuded a relaxed type of city-chic that truly embodied effortless glamour. The models completed their turns in strappy stiletto sandals and knee-high leather boots to a quartet playing songs by Prince -- an appropriate musical selection for a collection fit for young royalty. -- Victoria Chin
Chloe Dao
Bravo has yet to reveal the winner of Project Runway, but we've got a sneak peak at finalist Chloe Dao's Fall 2006 line. Throughout the television series, Dao consistently presented classic, well-tailored designs with just the right balance of sweetness and sophistication. On the Olympus runway, she took this approach to new levels. Dao commanded our attention with her opening ensemble -- a striking satin lilac evening dress with a highly dramatic cinched puffed skirt and puffed sleeves, a dress that catches your eye from miles away with its contradictory girlish glamour and intimidating structure. The rest of the collection served up the same blend of boldness and ultra-femininity exemplified in pieces like a structured, shiny, pleated skirt mini dress paired with a girlish bell-sleeved shrug or a classic deep blue, fitted, satin suit dress with a surprisingly sexy open back. Ultimately, Dao's designs seemed to fall short of perfection, but they did manage to captivate. With more experience, this aspiring designer may return to Fashion Week in the future. -- Ana La O'
Derek Lam
To omit the world-renowned Derek Lam from our list would be like having a wardrobe without a little black dress. Lam has become a staple in the industry, a statement to which his Fall 2006 collection can attest. The sleek silhouettes that combined hard and soft elements were classic American essentials -- but better. There were wide-leg tuxedo pants with metallic piping down the legs, delicate silk bodices atop high-waisted skirts, and leggings layered underneath sweaters, skirts, and coats. His modified take on the classic trench featured a black leather belt at the waist and overstated fox fur cuffs. The highlight of the show came near the end, when models Iselin Steiro and Hye Park, an APA favorite, were sent down the runway in divine one-shouldered dresses of silk and chiffon. For his accessories, Lam chose leather pumps and boots with killer heels a la Christian Louboutin, and supple leather hobos and satchels to compliment the daywear. The only thing Lam didn't have much of was jewelry; but who needs it when The OC's Rachel Bilson is sitting in the front row and Style.com dubs this collection his “strongest to date”? -- Victoria Chin
Other collections worth mentioning: Doo.ri, Vera Wang, Monique Lhuillier, Thakoon Panichgul, Yeohlee, Y & Kei, Baby Phat, United Bamboo, Zang Toi, Vivienne Tam
Stay tuned for fashion week coverage in London, Milan, and Paris in the upcoming issues of APA!