Hello darlings! Welcome to my second blog post of Fashion Week. Today we explore some rising designers, courtesy of Nolcha, a company which serves as a promotional platform for independent designers. In each Nolcha runway show, three to four designers present their collections. It’s a great way for smaller brands to show their work and, as I found this time around, there are some really great designers tucked away in the Nolcha shows. I was particularly impressed by Eredappa, K. Borgella, and eggcream. Photos again by yours truly.
Normally a garment covered in beads would beg one to think of Grandma Sylvia at little Brucie’s bar mitzvah, but not so with Eredappa. I was pleasantly surprised by the line, borne of the mind of Nigerian designer Eredappa Hart. Hart was able to make classic silhouettes have fresh sparkle with the use of beautiful, intricate beadwork in bold patterns. Each piece that came down the runway was covered in beads but still so smart and modern. Check out more from Eredappa here.
The clean yet feminine lines of K. Borgella also held my attention. K. Borgella is Kareen Borgella, who in the past had worked at big, brand-name design houses like J. Crew and Armani Exchange. Borgella’s Spring/Summer 2012 collection is her own voice, however, paring interesting asymmetrical cuts with feminine but not girly ruffles and pleats. Her color palette was tantalizing, especially her use of an emerald color with yellow and gold. See some highlights from the collection below.
Last but not least, I also took a big gulp of eggcream. Dawn Han is the designer of the sleek but rebellious line, and her collection was on display in the Nolcha gallery. For Spring/Summer 2012, Han made bold choices in her use of plastic skirts, leather shorts, and jersey motorcycle jackets. The color palette is simple–pale but not sweet pink, white, clear (plastic) and black. Her collection for the warmer seasons is unusual but not weird, thoughtful but not overly complex. Looking at her collection, I felt Han designed things she would like to wear herself. It’s always nice when a designer’s personality can come through in their collections. Here are two of eggcream’s pieces from Spring/Summer 2012.