Fashion Houston this year pulled design talent from many places, including our own Houston-town (which I will showcase this Friday). In this capsule I have highlighted some of the designers whose roots are worldwide that came to Houston via New York to share with our audience a sampling of their talents. The following are some of my favorite picks from them and a little about who they are…
Bibhu Mohapatra
Bibhu Mohapatra, sponsored by Elizabeth Anthony/Esther Wolf, is an India-born designer, that came to America and studied at F.I.T. In 1999 he became the Design Director of J. Mendel and in his 10 year stay there changed the direction of the company and expanded its selection to become the major brand it is today. He left there in 2008 to form his own company and has made great strides in establishing himself through NYFW as an important player on the global fashion scene. His Spring 2014 collection was inspired by his friend and NYC Ballet principal dancer, Wendy Whelan, who transitioned from classical ballet to modern dance and represented “new beginnings” to this designer, which he has interpreted in his Spring collection. Some of my favorite pieces were embellished with what appeared to be 3-D adornments such as the nude crepe with red-orange flowers seen below. His collection was glamorous but its freshness and beauty illustrated that new beginning that he was seeking.
Johanna Johnson
Johanna Johnson, a dress and wedding gown designer, is originally from New Zealand and was sponsored by Atrium/Casa deNovia. Her collection of stunningly glamorous gowns were inspired by the opulent grandeur of Old Hollywood and the 1920’s that she translates into fresh, modern silhouettes. Modeled after the silver screen, her gowns are a combination of art deco with the lux fabrics of yesteryear. Each gown is approached with artisan techniques and finishes, creating heirloom pieces for any occasion. Each gown shown was embellished with fine jewelry touches, mostly in headgear. True elegance and glam is definitely her style.
Yigal Azrouel
Yigal Azrouel, a native of Israel, was sponsored by Tootsies for both his namesake line and his younger, Cut 25 collection, both carried in the store and shown on two different nights atFashion Houston. He is considerably one of the hottest designers on the scene these days and is a favorite of many celebrities. I was surprised to learn that he has been in business since 1998, was a self-taught designer that favored sketching art that led him to sketching designs for women. He said he loved women and making women look good and that and his desire to follow his heart and his dream and just go for it, led to his first collection. It was 10 black jersey pieces that he sold first to Barney’s N.Y. and there it all began. He became a pioneer of the now haute Meat Packing District in NYC and was one of only two women’s fashion stores there when it was new and on the brink of becoming the shopping maven that it is today. His fashions resided there for 10 years before moving uptown to Madison and 78th street, which is now his showplace for his designs. He is very proud of having 80% of his product made in NYC…he loves supporting that cause and likes being so close to the making of his garments to control every aspect, particularly the fitting of each style on a woman’s body. He says this is why he has become so well-known for the fit of his garments. Another milestone is about to happen when he launches on November 22, his first state-of-the-art selling website that will feature every category of his business….including Accessories, Shoes, Handbags, Jewelry and Men’s apparel. As a designer that loves to collaborate with others as a means to grow, he is very proud of his many collaborations which he assured me would be apparent on this site…we will all have to check this one out…yigal-azrouel/shop.
