The future of fashion returned to Boston during the fifth annual Emerging Trends 2012 fashion show for Boston Fashion Week on Saturday. Produced by The SYNERGY Events at The Cyclorama for the Boston Center for the Arts, the evening brought together 12 designers, each of whom presented a fresh take on the upcoming season's trends. The designers who descended on Boston came from all across the globe, including Ireland, Poland and South Korea.
This year's iteration of the fashion show strayed from tradition by integrating longer collections from many of the designers in a reformatted schedule. In years past, miniature collections were presented at the beginning of the night, saving the headliners and their more expansive presentations for the end.
This year's show flipped the format, which allowed many designers to present more looks to the audience's delight. By placing the less?established designers with fewer pieces at the end, the show's organizers shone a spotlight on some unique and creative viewpoints. For instance, the show highlighted CLU? Collections' line of women's wear inspired by men's tuxedos.
The event also blended the runway show with multimedia presentations. The video productions and distinct soundtracks allowed the designers to expand on their brands and complemented the looks seen on the runway. This was a refreshing change from last year's runway, when the MCs awkwardly stalled with less?than?witty banter while the models changed. Some of these videos were lackluster, but most were entertaining. Among our favorites was Irish designer Jennifer Rothwell's tropical montage that featured a model cliff diving.
As to be expected at such a large event, there were some serious technical issues strewn throughout the night. The sound designers never quite got the microphone levels right, leading to deafening feedback whenever the hosts - Miss New Hampshire and lead organizer ReazHoque - addressed the audience. Additionally, the attempts at creative lighting failed on many accounts and literally left the models in the dark.
In an evening that showcased nearly a dozen different collections, it's hard to pick a specific standout. Among the best was Trash, a Polish design house run by Angela Brejt. According to Brejt, her looks were inspired by '60s and '70s American comic book style, specifically King Kong.
"[King Kong] is big and powerful, but has the heart of the woman," she said, explaining her choice to feature the infamous ape. From banana?laden prints to green snake?eye dresses - an homage to Kong's serpentine nemesis - Trash's collection was both graphic and fun. Brejt also had a witty answer when asked to summarize her pieces.
"Trash crash! A bit of color, and some fun," said Brejt.
Another designer who made use of very intricate prints was Rothwell. Her custom?designed textiles incorporated birds in flight and bright, tropical colors. Rothwell's attention to detail was evident in the way the print was strategically placed and tailored to perfection.
"My brand represented timeless elegance and strong prints that come alive," she said after her American runway premiere.
Of the miniature collections that graced the runway, Sylvia Hill's CLU? stood out. Unlike many of the others shown that evening, Hill's looks were utterly cohesive. Despite showing everything from a house coat to hot pants, CLU? always referenced the tuxedo inspiration. On top of all this, we adored the red accents shown in every piece.
Emerging Trends branched out of the runway show norms, showcasing collections by accessory and footwear designers. Although Annie Jean?Baptiste's platform heels veered toward gaudy and overworked, BitruFariel's jewelry line was a breath of fresh air. One of the best pieces of the entire night was the Polish craftswoman's coral neckpiece that draped down the model's back to resemble a string of chili peppers.
Beyond being an evening for truly innovative fashion, Emerging Trends 2012 served as a launch point for its featured models and designers. Model Jennie Ross reflected on her experience in Emerging Trends, which was one of the many shows in which she walked at Boston Fashion Week.
"I wanted to start this so I could meet bigger and better people because I feel this could be a huge steppingstone for my career," she said, commenting that she hopes to model at New York Fashion Week in the spring.
For expanded coverage on Emerging Trends, see the Daily blog Jumboslice for exclusive videos from the runway, interviews with the designers and more photos of the featured collections.
