The Suno collection that was shown on Saturday afternoon was a bit of a head scratcher. Designers Max Osterweis and Erin Beatty should always be applauded for their dedication to ethical fashion and their continued support of the artistic talents located in emerging markets. And as far as that goes their catwalk show worked.
The intriguing fabrics they sourced, the multicolored plaid mohair sweaters, the painterly pinstripe wool trousers and the lustrous damask jacquard and lace dresses were begging to be inspected close up. However the matronly ruffled peplum striped dresses that opened the show felt out of sync with current sartorial leanings and made it hard at first for this collection to resonate with the audience. One front row guest even described them as something that looked like they had stepped out of the M. Night Shyamalan film « The Village ». Better were a few looks in Lurex and the hearty denim workwear pieces looked like they could be put through their paces. But it was with the outerwear that this collection really found a firmer footing.
The arrival on the catwalk of the first shawl-collared plaid wool coat, which decadently came tied with a thick mink belt, was an original winner. As was the navy wool coat a model wore with its scarf collar worn up to mask the lower half of her face. It certainly felt perfect for the glacial temperatures in New York.
In the end this was a mixed bag of a show. But buyers will easily be able to cherry pick this collection’s stronger stuff. They couldn’t be missed on the runway.