East Heads West to New York
Hong Kong designers conveyed the essence of Asia on Sept. 8 in New York’s Bryant Park. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council sponsored five designers for their second showing at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. For Spring/Summer 2002, “Asian Chic” was the theme.
Designers Flora Cheong-Leen and Cecilia Yau both went for sheer chiffons this season. Cheong-Leen started the show off with a techno-hippy collection of bright colors and fluid chiffons accented with ruffled bolero jackets and corset and obi-style belts, while Yau’s collection was ultra-feminine with lots of glam appeal (a favorite included an ivory all-over ruffled lace circle skirt and beige silk top wrapped with a burgundy scarf) and a taste for fringe. The designer showed long fringe dangling off of tops, pants and a stunning ivory coat that was embroidered and bejeweled.
Shanghai Tang was next, mixing the traditional—silk Mandarin-collared jackets and hand-painted organzas—with the non-traditional—vibrant colors including orange, lime and fuchsia, and one-shoulder and midriff-baring silhouettes. The finale piece was a beautiful gold Mandarin-style top with the collar encrusted in jewels and a hand-painted organza scarf.
Totally opposite was Silvio Chan, whose London-esque half-punk, half-Mod style was anything but subdued. Big belts and corsets wrapped around tiny denim shorts, miniskirts and wool pants and were topped off with funky poor-boy caps and tall, narrow-brimmed hats.
Dorian Ho was pure femininity with off-the-shoulder draping tops, asymmetrical silhouettes and floral-printed or floral-embellished chiffons. Dazzlers were pretty pink and lilac dresses, some done in tulle, big flower accents and clusters of rhinestones.
A minimalist Michael Hui showed models wearing white beaded headwraps with modernized silk chiffon tunics, jackets and dresses in muted colors including sand, cream, champagne and shades of green.
The show ended with Bleu de Chine’s black linens hanging away from the body and black pleated looks, including a gorgeous modern-day-Cleopatra pleated top and mid-calf skirt.
Similar was Blanc de Chine, Bleu’s mother company, which opened with a more avant-garde flavor with wrap pants and dresses in black-mud silk. The look took a sharp turn, though, when yellow, gold and apricot-colored silk tops and skirts with ruffles and sequins followed. —Joselle Yokogawa
