L.A. Fashion Week Fall '07: Crispin & Basilio
Donny Barrios, the designer for Crispin & Basilio, claims to be clueless when it comes to frilly embellishment. The menswear-trained Barrios instead chose to attract design interest through “shape and form” for the 12 looks on display on March 22 at the Walter Maciel Gallery in Culver City, Calif.
Artful pattern work and an out-of-the-box approach to fabric application resulted in surprising takes on common items, such as a petite floral brocade bomber with dropped shoulder seams that borrowed its shape from an oversized masculine athletic jacket.
“To be relatable as clothing, you start with something familiar,” said Barrios of his sportswear, which was inspired by the season-less sensibility of mid-century designer Charles James. Fabrics were manipulated opposite to their normal function, Barrios continued, such as a waxed wool blazer that was draped in folds.
Must-have dresses and jackets had a feminine ease with the integrity of serious design, such as a cotton poplin box pleat dress tied at the top with a fat bow, worn over a cropped jacket with a hood that fell in a sculptural folded collar. —Rhea Cortado
