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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Thursday, September 11, 2008 - 48

AP PHOTO

By KIMBERLY CHOU
Daily Arts Writer
Sleeves are the thing this year, and Reese's col-
lection proved all the ways you can do them right
- delicate (if safe) shirred little wings on sheer
tops, cinched and exaggerated cap sleeves.
A reworking of the peplum silhouette showed
up in several skirts, and a fitted strapless dress
repeated in a handful of pastels - "cute," but not
so much runway as bridesmaid material. That
was the problem with a number of the collec-
tion's evening numbers: Well-cut with attention
to detail, but they wouldn't warrant a double take
onthe street.
Reese's flirtation with a manic watercolor/
tie-dye print did not translate well to a balloon-
sleeved wrap blouse, though it fared slightly bet-

ter as a dress. Another one-shouldered day dress
suffered from what looked to be a cumulous cloud
print.
But patterns saved one or two variations of the
strapless peplum number, such as a top ina sum-
mery yellow floral paired with pleated cropped
pants. The pants were fun, appearing in a look in
a deep forest green and elsewhere in dark brown
hues; nipped at the waist and flaring at the hips,
they were a touch of Charlie Chaplin-as-The-
Tramp, but entirely feminine.
Subtle standouts included a superbly cut high-
neck blouse, pinched in at the shoulders with
applique detail around the neck, and an apple
green shift with the aforementioned shirred
sleeves. In a collection heavy on youthful pastels
and neutrals, splashes ofbright purple were a wel-
come sight.

///ERIN F ETI
By PRIYA BALI
Daily Arts Writer
For Erin Fetherston, New York Fashion Week
meant taking risks with her Spring 2009 collec-
tion. Experimenting with pastels and ocean-toned
colors, the California native seems to be influenced
by her home state's sunlight and water. A former
student of France's Parsons School of Design,
she's created a collection also resembling the chic
sophistication of a Parisian-inspired ball.
Fetherston's collection was bold without using
bright or loud colors and was composed of loose-
fitting clothes that had an ethereal feminine qual-
ity. Two pieces contained a silky pattern of yellow
and white, but Fetherston painted the rest of the
collection from a palette of faded pinks, blues
and yellows combined in a tie-dyed, ruffled form.

Puffy, floral-shaped gown bottoms and sequined
garments enhanced the whimsical look. Transpar-
ent pants had dramatically wide flared legs and
multiple cuts on some of the looks created a layer-
ing effect.
Even the smallest accessories, like Fetherston's
thick cloth headbands, made a statement. This sub-
tle touch is reminiscent of both her Fall and Spring
2008 collections. Fetherston has proven herself a
skillful designer as this simple trademark has tran-
scended the varying styles of her collections.
. "I think the ultimate luxury in fashion is to be
yourself, to celebrate your personality," Fetherston
said in an interview with the Style Network. The
magical look of this collection may just be her big-
gest celebration yet.

By MAUREEN SULLIVAN
DailyArts Writer
Under the young direction of Afghanistan-born
designer Waleed Khairzada, Cynthia Steffe's Spring
2009 collection offers a crisp and refreshing take on
well-tailored, modern women's wear. As androgy-
nously-styled models with sleek, pulled-back hair
and dramatically stark makeup strut down the run-
way, one thing was clear: While the models appear
identical, the clothes have scope that's anything but
static.
With styles ranging from demure white chiffon
frocks to fierce block-leather separates, the collec-
tion seems varied in style, but every piece works
somehow. In terms of color scheme, Khairzada
stuck to black and white with bright reds, lime

green and crisp blue floral patterns. Each look has
a feminine shape, emphasizing a small waistline
even when playing with menswear elements such
as sporty jackets. Many looks have subtle detailing
that brings something new to classic silhouettes,
including petal-like tiers on an ethereal floral sun-
dress and little buttons on a cropped jacket. Many of
the more delicate looks are styled with chunky black
plastic aviator sunglasses, ablack belt, a sporty black
visor or small black gloves, adding a bit of edge to
pieces that would otherwise be more suitable for a
garden party.
Overall, the Cynthia Steffe collection shows a
range in styles and textures while maintaining
a sense of cohesion; the line is refined and femi-
nine with subtle elements of sharpness.

By RUBINA SINGH
DailyArts Writer
Tia Cibani's previous collections have been laud-
ed for their simplicity and easy elegance, but Cibani
amplified her usual aesthetic for spring, using candy
colors and abstract headpieces as complements to the
outfits.
Cibani's prior work hasn't been particularly inno-
vative, but this time around she wowed. Each piece in
the collection began with the same basic structure of
a stovepipe-shaped dress; through layers of fabrics,
colors and necklaces, the ensembles took on a level of
depth that yielded significant artistic value.
One such piece was a plum-colored dress made of
pleated layers, starting sheer at the top and progress-

ing to a satin bottom. A similarly hued jacket topped
the dress, showcasing Cibani's trademark silhouette
of a rounded shoulder. Another interesting aspect of
the collection was a novel use of the fringe; the trim-
mings were made of satin and layered over contrast-0
ing hues of burnt orange. The best representation of
this aesthetic was a copper-colored dress overlaid
with chocolate brown fringe and accessorized with
wooden jewelry, a look similar to what Cibani used
in her previous fall collection.
Cibani's maturation as a designer was evident in*
the cohesiveness of this collection. Each look is built
on the story of a city girl losing herself to nature, in
addition to many Native American influences.


BARACK
OBAMA
GETS SOME
DESIGNER
HELP
By KIMBERLY CHOU
Daily Arts Writer

Fashion, turn to
the left.
Finally - a. Derek Lam carnation-print
tote for change.
Earlier this year, the Obama campaign
arranged for 20 top fashion designers to
create pieces for the Barack Obama presi-
dentialeffort, which should be available this
month on the campaign website. Contribut-
ing designers include Lam, Tracy Reese,
Charles Nolan and Diane von Furstenberg,
and there were murmurings of Russell Sim-
mons and Michael Bastian pieces too - but
you'll have to keep checking barackobama.
cam for any khaki suits to confirm. (Smart
way to drive up page views, Obama camp.)
Reportedly, designers had less than a
week to commit to the project, present a
sketch for approval and then deliver a sam-
ple. The campaign told designers they were
free to use Obama's image and "O" logo.

Someideasdidn'tmakeitpasttheapprov-
al desk, such as Reese's vision of an "Obama
dress" - a one-shouldered silk georgette
day dress, for about $400.
"I thought it would be nice for Michelle,"
Reese told the Washington Post.
Sadly, the idea was nixed. Reese's con-
tribution, instead, is a long-sleeved appli-
que t-shirt, retailing for about $80. (Think
Lucky Brand.)
But the foundation of the collection -.
as with any political campaign - is com-
prised of t-shirts and tote bags. Besides the
Lam-designed muslin bag (featuring a silk-
screened carnation from his 2004 collec-
tion, reworked in red, white and blue with
the words "A fresh start: Obama '08"), the@
DVF bag features Obama's words printed
on it.
Funfacts forDemocraticunity'08:wrap-
dress queen DVF was formerly a stalwart
Clinton supporter, and Lam created the
inaugural outfit for first daughter Barbara
Bush in 2005.

S