Charm, sweetness, and light were also evident at Y & Kei, whose running theme is “water the earth” and who staged a very elegant, soft, sophisticated, and beautifully accessorized collection which was graceful and feminine and all about modern luxury, texture, rustic ornamentation. It was a love affair with pale neutral colors (like ivory, muslin, chalk white, vanilla- though there was a hit of black, gray, melon, yellow and parrot blue). There were very strong dresses, both long and short, great coats and jackets, gorgeous blouses with sweet details, eyelet trim embroidery as well as lace The Korean design duo admits that Cate Blanchett is a muse and one can certainly see this strong fashion icon wearing many of these modern pieces. By the way, they are seeing dots (as in circles of all sizes and shapes) and based on early reports, I think it’s safe to say polka dots will likely find their way onto other runways (including that of Donna Karan).

I must say I really liked the showing by of Ashish N. Soni, the Indian born designer who boasts quite a following in his native country. His poetic collection based on simple yet distinctive pieces done in white, black, gray, (and mixes thereof) had more than just a bit of that Japanese vibe (think Yohji, Issye, Rei). There were some absolutely beautiful billowy blouses, as well as tailored coats and jackets, with much attention paid to detail in cut, play of proportion, and an obvious love affair with volume. Of the 45 or so looks that came out on the runway, quite a few were standouts and spoke of an sculptural, dreamy, and artistic vision that is not exactly commercial, but beautiful.

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