L.A. in N.Y.: Jared Gold
Saleable and safe might be the best way to describe Jared Gold’s latest collections and his runway show held Sept. 22 in Bryant Park.
Gold showed his best collection yet for Black Chandelier, his mid-tier secondary label. The collection managed to hit key trends including peasant blouses, blouson tops and cropped pants tied at the hem without sacrificing such familiar Gold details as his turn-of-the-century silk screens, spats and little-girl knee socks.
The designer’s signature Jared Gold collection was significantly toned down from seasons past. Gone was the skewed, Edward Gorey–inspired sense of humor, leaving a collection of separates that tempered some odd Gold details into merely unusual touches. For example, a long corset skirt was topped with a sheer blouse that had a sequined patch recalling the oversized “first prize” buttons of earlier seasons. Gold even showed a few suits, although he personalized them with quirky details such as a scalloped hem or cloud-like appliqueacute;.
And although the run sheet described each item with typical incomprehensible Goldisms (i.e., “Lieutenant Keiji’s Ouija Board, an angel from another world”), the show had none of the designer’s usual theatrics. It’s as if the Gold girl has grown up, stopped partying until dawn and taken a day job.—Alison A. Nieder
