L.A. Fashion Week Spring '09: Suh-Tahn
Designers Shannon Nataf and Dimitry Tcharfas made their first appearance at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif., on Oct. 12 with their Suh-Tahn collection, which was long on art and style. Their Spring/Summer 2009 men’s and women’s collection melded the oceans of California with the curves of the West Coast coastline in styles that had touches of a beachcomber’s lifestyle.
The ocean and all its creatures had an influence on the easy-to-wear garments that floated down the runway in soft tones of white, black, oyster and blue. The Los Angeles–based designers made heavy use of a lightweight denim for jackets, blouses, dresses and vests. “A lot of what we are surrounded with [in California] tends to be denim and the shirt,” Nataf said. “We took another spin off of that to be more avant-garde.” That was seen in a men’s denim work shirt that could go two ways: formal or informal. It was paired with white voile high-water pants that would be perfect for clam-digging. A woman’s denim vest had deep angles all over it. A white gully dress had straps hanging from the bottom rather than from the top.
The designers had particular fun with neoprene leggings that came in black or white and were stitched in thick, contrasting black or white thread. The look was sexy but sportive. —Deborah Belgum
