New York Fashion Week: Daniel Franco
Designer Daniel Franco of Los Angeles was the first to get “auf’d” from Season 1 of “Project Runway,” but he was the only one to make a comeback on Season 2. And you can bet Franco will manage to continue making appearances. His latest: New York Fashion Week, where he presented an edited version of his new Spring ’07 line. The Sept. 11 show took place at Style Lounge, one of the event’s runway venues, at Manhattan’s Metropolitan Pavilion.
With Tim Gunn, design mentor of “Project Runway,” sitting front row, Franco sent out looks that highlighted his modern aesthetic—made sexy, of course, with plunging necklines and skin-baring cutouts—as well as his knack for tailoring and shaping clothes.
Sculpted silk linen cropped jackets detailed with contrast fabric insets—a familiar Franco look—worn with skirts, either high-waist, knee-length and pencil-thin or billowy above-the-knee-lengths, anchored the collection.
There also were sexy, solidcolored cocktail frocks fit for young Hollywood. A peach silk taffeta halter dress with a standup ruffled collar and a voluminous two-layered skirt won applause.
More wearable for the masses (size 6 and under, that is) was a red sleeveless silk number with a deep-V front and back. For evening, there were red carpet–worthy gowns. Standouts included a frothy bright-yellow floorlength gown with silk satin strips and straps, and the show’s finale piece: a black silk gown with one shoulder strap—both of which were Franco’s personal favorites.
“I designed the collection sort of three-dimensionally,” the 32-year-old California native explained. “Something that’s interesting from the front to the back. And the way I could get that across was by using different fabrics, because that way you could see the light and how it hits the body. It does something 360.”
Franco plans to show his full Spring collection in Los Angeles, which he said would include more wearable and day looks, such as denim and knits.
“Hopefully the clothes translate well [here], but California is definitely an aesthetic that I know well.” Expect to see more dramatic dresses, too. “I love drama, you know,” he said. “Drama with a capital D—or DF.”
—Joselle Yokogawa
