SUE WONG FASHION SHOW FOR FALL 2015
The show opener. Photo by Arun Nevader.
It’s not even Spring yet, (that happens at the end of this week,) but last week’s Fashion Week brought us 2015’s Fall collections.
I usually work hard to make it out to at least a trio of shows, but I had time for only one this year. So I knew I had to make it a really good one!
To that end, I chose gown designer, Sue Wong. I, sadly, hadn’t been to a Sue Wong fashion show in a couple of years, so I was happy to attend this one, showcasing her Mythos and Goddesses Collection, which, as usual, is perfect for all seasons! I always love seeing her elegant designs, and these did not disappoint.
What did disappoint was the challenging venue, Taglyan Complex. I’ll tell you more about of that uncomfortable place at the end of this column, but now I must laud Sue’s beautiful designs.
One of my faves. Photo by Arun Nevader.
I love that this show’s gowns, (with a few cocktail dresses peppered in,) which all featured thin silhouettes with varied beading, were grouped according to color. The section with blues and purples, (followed by one of various shades of greens,) was my fave. I don’t know how all this beauty can come from the mind of just one woman!
And, as always, Sue Wong crowned her models with elaborate headdresses from several designers. They complemented her designs perfectly. It was all gorgeous, including the jewelry and purses. Even most of the models were excellent this time! Only a couple of them made me scratch my head with confusion as to how they got hired, but it was basically a pretty good group.
Summer Watson. Photo by Arun Nevader.
The show began with a wonderful musical presentation from British opera singer, Summer Watson. I wish the good music had continued, but whoever chose the show’s pounding house music beats, distorted by the venue’s awful sound system, needs to be replaced. Such elegant fashions should not have been accompanied by such crass music. That didn’t take away from the stunning gowns, at all, but it did make me plan to bring earplugs next time, just in case! (And remember—I was a dance club promoter, so I don’t mind loud music…when it’s good.)
As to the cat-walking itself, as each section arrived, signaled by a flash of different-colored lights on the uber-impressive chandeliered ceiling, (which was a really clever touch,) I couldn’t believe that there was more! Each design was more alluring than the one before, and, even though you could tell that each had the Sue Wong touch, they were all so different from each other. I could not imagine that more designs were coming! In all, there had to be close to one hundred different creations!!! Sue Wong must never sleep!!! Or at least, have the most creative, productive dreams ever!
The exquisite ceiling. Photo by Karen Salkin.
The evening ended for many of us with a soirée worthy of Sue Wong’s fashion triumph. It was held at her iconic estate, The Cedars, and had so much food that, if the models attended, they must have been thrilled to see! They probably hadn’t eaten in weeks! (Although a few of them should have maybe continued that practice. Just sayin’.)
Designer Extraordinaire, Sue Wong, in the middle, being lauded by her models. Photo by Arun Nevader.
The fete was Sue’s usual glamorous, generous affair, with a buffet of sumptuous dishes from around the world. There were healthful salads, meatballs, sausages, chicken and mashed potatoes, (which were my faves,) in one room, and platters of all kinds of cold appetizers in another. But it seemed that many guests milled around the constantly-replenished dessert buffet. That chocolate mousse cake was oh so good!
The room with the bar, and the garden tables, were two also-popular areas. And in-between eating and chatting, many hipsters wandered around the open rooms to admire the vintage décor. Sue must be the opposite of a worrier to allow that many people to wander around her lovely home. Mr. X and I get nervous when even one person comes to our not-so-lovely one!
The finale. Photo by Arun Nevader.
Now, as promised, I’ll tell you a bit more about the unfortunate venue for the show, the Taglyan Complex. It’s absolutely no reflection on Sue, nor her people; this is where very many fashion shows take place, although, with their crazy logistics, I can’t figure out why.
That place was not designed for the crowds that Fashion Week attracts. There’s always a log-jam of about four hundred people trying to get through one door. And I don’t mean one double door…I mean just one single door! It’s a claustrophobe’s nightmare. I’m usually seated in the first two rows of all fashion shows, (that’s where the guest goodie bags usually are, by the way,) but I couldn’t even check to see if that’s where my seats were this time because I didn’t want to be penned-in at this place. I chose to sit in the last row, for easier exit, which I’ve never done before, (especially because that meant I was foregoing what were most likely excellent gifts.) (That seating change didn’t work out too well for me, either, because the standing-room crowd kept crushing in on us.)
I was invited to events at Taglyan every night last week, but, since I had been there previously to even Sue’s show, and knew the horrors of it, I had to decline. I braved the crowds for only Sue.
This pic demonstrates how no one sees life naturally anymore; they’re all viewing it through their camera lenses. Shame. Photo by Karen Salkin.
I’ll tell you more tales of that horrible place some other time, but now I want to bring the room back up before I go. The second I get back to being my old skinny self, (which means I just may choose to walk red carpets again,) when someone asks me what I designer I’m wearing, I hope the answer will be a resounding, “Sue Wong!”
To see more of her work, please go to www.suewong.com.
