L.A. Fashion Week Spring '06: Saja
Although Saja’s Yoo Lee regressed to childhood to find inspiration for her Spring ’06 collection, the designer found maturity in her 5-year-old line with its presentation Oct. 20 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. The designer pulled off a polished collection that showed her strength in using details and texture to accent her sweet, girlish designs. Lee steered away from her signature palette and embellishments and went instead for natural fabrications in silk chiffon, cotton voile and metallic linen. Knits added texture against chiffons, and shell necklaces and subtle beading were used as accents. “We still do beading, but it’s a lot more muted,” Lee said. “The clothes really take the center stage; therefore, the shape and the colors were very, very important.” Floor-length chiffon halter gowns and floral-print blouses and skirts in coral, mint, lilac and beige were accented by dresses in pure white. Lee juxtaposed sweet lace looks with more sophisticated jackets and skirts and cardigan-and-dress combinations. The look was carefree and soft, conveying the feminine, vintage look of the line. “The focus was really on femininity and the clothes. I wanted [the models] to flow like angels on the runway,” Lee said. —N. Jayne Seward
