L.A. Fashion Week Spring '08: Samora
Designer Samora Olayan has been making pretty dresses and separates for her contemporary collection, Samora, since 2002. This season, the designer wanted to highlight strength alongside beauty and chose Bellona, the Roman goddess of war, as her muse. Olayan’s Spring 2008 collection debuted on the runway Oct. 18 at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif.
“This collection is about celebrating women’s femininity and their strength,” she said. Women always have to balance both in these times.” To show that balance, the designer blended military details such as epaulettes with draped dresses worn with gold metallic sandals. She incorporated several asymmetrical details, including one-shoulder and one-sleeve silhouettes. Olayan extended the concept to a piece she called the “should wrap,” a ruffled wrap that covers one arm.
A pretty chocolate-brown taffeta dress trimmed in aqua was more “Roman Holiday” than Roman goddess of war. Day dresses in a pinched floral fabric were picnic-ready, while a natural-colored dress with rough black stitching provided an earthy balance to Olayan’s gowns, which were lean columns of frothy silk and chiffon.
This was Olayan’s ninth season at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. “I love the solidness of it. I wish everybody would stick to it and join hands under one umbrella,” she said. “I like that they bring attention to Los Angeles designers.” —Alison A. Nieder
