Friday, September 7th, 2012
Gershwin Hotel Ballroom
Designer Elena Vasilevsky has a problem… too many ideas! This is a good problem to have, but when one is launching a fashion collection, it can cause some confusion to the observer trying to understand the story being told when no preconceived knowledge of what the designer stands for exists for comparison. I was lucky enough to preview the collection with the designer herself in her studio a week prior to her show, thus I had the good fortune to see first hand the quality of the needle, fabrication & detail that are present throughout this collection, but none of which cannot be seen as dramatically on the runway.
The Elena V Capsule Collection is Ms. Vasilevsky’s higher fashion collection. Her RTW collection was shown later in the week on a separate runway. In it, she experiments more boldly with her design stroke, thus creating a variety of looks that range from the bold, dramatic sort of looks commonly found on the couture runways of Paris down to the more understated pieces that can be found on the ballroom floors at any number of charity functions that are commonplace among the social set. However, as stated in the opening, there were simply too many ideas to digest in too little time.
Ms. Vasilevsky seems to be at her best when she pumps up the drama & the structure. Her standout look was by far the Silver Metallic double tier skirted dress that was topped off with a well fitting haltered bustier bodice that proved a fitting (pardon the pun) testament to her considerable technical skill. Dresses of this quality are not easily achieved, especially when working in the tight, artisanal environs in which this designer does. Bravo!
-Scott French
Designer website: elenavdesigns.com
What we’ve said: ONmyMind
