Tuesday, February 14th, 2012
The Studio @ Lincoln Center
The preshow set of the Pamella Roland show was truly one of the more memorable one’s this observer has ever witnessed. Snow laden branches were suspended above the runway & video projections of snow turned every wall into a gently cascading winter wonderland. As the show began & the first looks emerged, Roland’s trademarks were seen in the mix of silhouettes sent out, with the key emphasis on the word “mix”. There was little or no consistent story told in this collection. Rather, Roland sent out a little bit of everything up her sleeve. Granted, many of the pieces were really, really great pieces, especially one pair of Silver pants printed with a Black woodgrain pattern & a knee length duster coat printed with a giant photo-real print of Birch trees, replete with Fall foliage. The Fall foliage was a bit out of place in this theatric winter wonderland, but they piece was strong enough to still be deemed a success. When the final walk around was in full swing, the true frenetic nature of this collection was evidenced. The parade of models looked more akin to a show of the contents of a very well dressed woman’s closet & not the final showing of a “collection” of clothing. The runway requires as much a skill of editing as it does a talent of designing. In this case, Ms. Roland’s talent is without reproach. I can only blame a stylist in this case, as a designer of Mr. Roland’s stature didn’t get to where she is without a keen understanding of just what a collection is made.
-Scott French
Designer website: www.pamellaroland.com
What we’ve said: Fall 2011
