Tuesday, February 7th, 2012
Hotel Americano
The Ponto Zero Project brought four talented Brazilian designers to the New York fashion scene this year. All previous winners of the annual project, each designer was able to show off his or her own aesthetic and potential. Seats filled up quickly and the crowd seemed eager; one could tell this New York debut was something anticipated.
And rightly so. Arnaldo Ventura started off the show, giving your ears a first taste of tribal influence with the sounds of men chanting over beating drums. It was obvious Ventura had spent time in the Orient preparing for this collection; silk floral prints came in green, blue and orange, and both kimono dresses and blouses could be found. The collaboration of Isadora Zendron and Lucas Devitte came next. They provided a more feminine collection, which included shortened hems and cropped bolero jackets among a palette of grey, blue, black and burgundy. The two created contrast between thicker and lightweight fabrics with the use of blanket wool and tulle. Cynthia Hayashi’s first look came out looking dark and tough in a leather jacket overtop a textured leather dress. This textured, eco-friendly leather was a prominent theme throughout the collection, also offered up in natural colors of pink, caramel and cream. Exposed zippers on top of such leather created attractive, interesting drama within Hayashi’s collection. Rounding up the presentation, Gabriela Sakate showed us a chic collection full of very wearable, very feminine pieces, many of them metallic. She also played with textures; the collaboration of cotton and sheer tulle in the construction of one piece was seen multiple times.
One could venture to say that collectively, these designers offer promising potential. That being said, there’s a possibility that the Ponto Zero Project will grow to become a more favorable ticket with each season.
- Tessa Reeves
