In the best sense possible, ChoCheng's Fall/Winter '09 collection made me giggle. The designer obviously loves whimsy and playfulness, and has a deep-rooted appreciation for the old adage that "fashion should be fun!" With a sort of Alice in Wonderland meets the Upper East Side (with a brief stop at the senior prom) sensibility, ChoCheng's upbeat runway styling mimicked the bright colors, marshmallow-inspired skirts, over-the-top satin gowns, and a fabulous appearance by Maggie Rizer in a wedding dress to close the show. The show notes even had descriptions like "bubblegum" and "cotton candy" and I had such a good time watching the show.
ChoCheng sent colors like turquoise, cherry, canary yellow, red, ivory, black, leaf green, pale blue, rose pink, raspberry, white, gold and silver down the runway, in fabrics that included mohair, velveteen, satin, cashmere, tweed, silk faille, organza and all-over sequins. Key looks included a dramatic, swinging coat in bright turquoise mohair with red velveteen trim to open the show, a black satin faced organza (very!) mini "can-can"pleated bubble skirt, a rose pink silk faille mini sheath dress, a modern take on the architectural wedding gown, and a tiny miniskirt in ivory satin faced organza with a "roll of gazar petals" (or in my terms, a very little pleated marshmallow that instantly made me smile!).
Were all of these clothes wearable? Not really. Would you maybe look like a bit like an acid-trip if you had a wardrobe full of ChoCheng? Probably. But did we witness experimentation, excitement, entertainment and a good time with fashion? ABSOLUTELY.
~ Alison
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