Sallly LaPointe Fall 2011

The Sally LaPointe show was at the end of a hectic day and I literally ran out of Lincoln Center just in time to grab a cab and make my way over to Eyebeam Studios in Chelsea.  The show was held on the 5th Floor and my legs didn’t feel like they could handle the hike at the end of the day.  So I crammed myself into a tiny 4-person at a time elevator.

Once I got to the show, I relaxed.  The room was spacious, open and there was a video streaming and creating interesting and serene patterns on the wall while red light bulbs suspended over small boxes of water created interesting lighting effects.  I was anticipating how these would work into creating a runway and was expecting the models to exit the brightly lit vault doors in a dramatic fashion like last season.

My assumptions were mistaken and the models entered this time from a different area in a quieter more darkly lit location with strong beams of light hitting the models at precise moments on the runway. Fortunately for me I had a good view of the action and was able to snag some great shots just before the models turned onto darker parts of the winding runway path.

This season, the show was presented in fields of color which created almost head to toe looks that made for eerily tall and almost inhuman models.

First came white/silver grey, then red, turquoise/grey looks and a series of black looks that framed the finale outfit of floaty red hair/fuzz all the more intense.  All that red hair me thinking a little bit of Margiela.  Texture is of utmost importance and I love that it is so well displayed throughout all of Ms. LaPointe’s designs.

For Sally La Pointe, strong angular shoulders dominated most of the looks. At times almost taking the appearance of modern day protective armor and adding an architectural look to the collection. Fortunately softness was added back to the collection in the form of soft draping and fur.  Particularly in in fabrics so shiny that they often look like liquid metal.  Pants took two forms – either as tight as leggings or as soft gently ballooning pants that created for a very new looking wedge silhouette.  In counterbalance, stiff peplums paired with strong shoulders made for several futuristic hourglass silhouettes.

I thought that although many prints weren’t used, they were very effective because the strategic placement of the prints created a lot of optical interest.  My fave look is on the bottom end of the above photos.

Accessories this season become minimal.  The shoes that were so attention grabbing last round were still insanely high but they were a sleeker kind of clunky with not as much going on and not to detract from the clothes, but instead become an extension of them.  Hair was kept simple in harsh parts that were matted straight down.

Every show I am of Ms LaPointe’s somehow energizes me.  Her ability to paint a futuristic world that I want to be a part of never ceases to please.