Sophie Theallet celebrates femininity, Vera Wang sees black AFP
NEW YORK — French designer Sophie Theallet brought femininity to her adopted hometown at New York Fashion Week, while Vera Wang brought out black in all its elegance.
Theallet, whose star rose last year when she won the Council of Fashion Designers of America award and her dresses were worn by First Lady Michelle Obama, was one of the keenly awaited designers showing their Autumn-Winter 2010 collections in the closing stages of Fashion Week.
The event ends Thursday with shows by two US fashion pillars, Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein.
Wang, meanwhile, showed Wednesday with a wearable, but ultra-elegant and figure-hugging look in line with the more restrained offerings from other designers, including runway star Marc Jacobs.
Famous for her white wedding dresses -- she has even written a book on the subject -- Wang instead sent models out in black, just as Donna Karan did on Tuesday.
Wang's dresses were short, long and mid-length, but all black, often punctuated with transparent details and arm-length black gloves.
The sleeves were short, though, on fur and feather-collared overcoats, allowing models to show their gloved arms. Hair was piled up in a sexy Brigitte Bardot-style chignon look.
Flashes of white -- from barely-there shirts or rows of pearl bracelets -- provided contrast with the dark hues.
The eclectic Theallet, who won the prestigious Vogue-CFDA award in November, reached for a rainbow of colors to highlight her soft and feminine collection.
She used mauve chiffon for gypsy dresses accompanied by short cashmere jackets in a darker shade of the same color. Wool jackets were in deep pink.
