Opening Night of Brooklyn Fashion Week{end}: ‘No Fashion ‘Til Brooklyn’

FASHION : Snapshot

If someone were to ask “What are the fashion capitals of the world?” the top three would be Paris, Milan and New York, of course. But when one thinks of New York, the ever-popular Manhattan is usually the first image to come to mind, while the other boroughs stand in its shadows. But now one borough is putting up a fight as it hosted its seventh annual BK Fashion Week{end}.

Reflecting the no-games Brooklyn pride, the theme “No Fashion ‘Til Brooklyn,” was made evident as designers showcased their fall/winter ’09 collections. Neither the recession nor black Friday stopped fashionistas from attending the opening night. The tent was packed with fashion lovers. Seats were all full and many people had to stand to attend the show; however, some designers were standing up for. Each designer brought to the table a unique avant-garde style that seemed to represent the many faces of Brooklyn.

Up-and-coming designer Gerald Duroseau of Duroseau Couture shows many promises of sophistication and elegance as his reputation for red-carpet quality gowns, bold colors, and delicate prints continue. Dedicating his show to his passed twin sister, Geanne Duroseau, and his grandmother, Lucille Duroseau, his collection consisted of stunning ballroom gowns and dresses.

Duroseau has a taste for a sexy and elegant woman who has an edgy fashion persona. The first piece set the pace for the rest of his collection when a model wearing an all black, lustrous dress with plenty of asymmetrical angles, a black scarf and vein-like fishnets hit the runway. Noticeably his best piece, it was that knee-high silk dress accented with dantel that gained a lot of applause. The dress was so narrow around the knee that the model could barely walk — but we all know being fashionable is painful.

Duroseau’s collection consisted of plunging backs, layers, and angles. Though uniform in color — black with the occasional hint of green and white — each piece had interesting textures as he used a myriad of materials with intricate patterns, including lace. Each dress seemed to invoke a theme of power and poise within women; his final piece was a stunning over-the-shoulder, all lace, ballroom gown accompanied by a wide-brim church hat. Duroseau is influenced by Yves Saint Laurent, Valentino, Cristobal Balenciage, Emmanuel Ungaro and Balmain. Gerald Bazile’s (designer of Duroseau) dramatic persona reflects on his collection. The all black collection — a reflection of Bazile’s mourning for his grandmothers — was a mix of black, silk, silk taffeta, French, cotton twill, braided leather, wool and brocades.

A great deal of chiffon was also used. Duroseau had a gorgeous long dress that was black dantel top and a poofy chiffon bottom that was the least dramatic piece, and his fabulous coats were great accents to his pieces. Duroseau Couture was the star of the night. Even though it took the designer two weeks to put together his collections, every piece looked thought out.

Terri Stevens, one of the top five contestants on “Project Runway” had the second-best collection of the evening. Her funky and urban signature and use of color brightened the BKFW.
Yellow, red, black and white were the colors Stevens played with in her collection. Ruffle was her theme. Louis Vuitton’s fall/ winter 09 collection also included marvelous ruffled pieces that Stevens may have been influenced by.

Stevens and a number of her models wore elastic corsets over plain tanks that added femininity to the unconventional style. The corsets were worn with stretch pencil skirts or pants. She used every type of ruffles there is in the collection — ruffled scarves that looked like necklaces, short dresses with big ruffles, blouses with layered ruffles. The hottest ruffle piece was a hot pink halter top that was worn with black chaps and black and pink fabric underneath.

For people who don’t think all the color and ruffles were outrageous enough, she had a couple of disco pants that confirmed her wildness. Stevens also used a great deal of lycra, including a number of plain dresses that were accented with ruffled fabric on pockets and shoulders. In her offbeat collection, she had a sexy mermaid dress with fish skin-like fabric that belongs on a red carpet — perfect fit, fabric and style.

New Yorkers can be seen wearing Steven’s collection on a daily basis — sexy, funky, daring and edgy are all New Yorkers’ characteristics and Steven’s style.

Designer Fuseik’s collection was the only men’s collection to be featured in the show. Fuseik’s collection contrasted from Duroseau’s with lighter colors and a ready-to-wear style. The men walked down the runway with sleeveless V-neck shirts made of satin and soft linens accompanied by wide-leg pants and dress shoes.

The last line, the multi-talented Sachika — Japanese meaning, “more wishes, more fortune, and more happiness” — received a standing ovation with its high-quality, ready-to-wear pieces. Designers To-Tam and To-Nya Ton-Nu’s pieces look straight out of a store with top-notch, almost flawlessly assembled pieces. Sachika’s style comprised a fascinating aspect of using the same material to make several dresses; but just when you think you’ve got it figured out, a new material with a new theme and color walked on stage.

Sachika’s line showed a side of casual sophistication with intricate patterns and lustrous satins, among other materials, most of them partnered with peacock feathers and arm warmers. Showcasing mostly A-line dresses, they made are anything but one-trick acts with their use of rouching, ruffles, and pleating.

All of these up-and-coming designers are not to be taken lightly as they show promise to the world of fashion. As the evening’s hostess, Hot 97’s Dee Vasquez commented, “Show love to these young folks because we could all use the inspiration,” because like the show’s theme, there’s no fashion ‘til Brooklyn.

(Photo credit: Wire Image)

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