Dear Pennies & Pens,
It’s Pen here to report on Charleston Fashion Week. Last night marked the third day of Charleston Fashion Week. The emerging designers were Eleanor Morgan Hoffman, Julie Wheat, Sasha Gil, and Michael Wiernicki. For the third night, there was a variety of evening/daywear, swimwear, sexy glamour, and outrageous style. Each designer brought something different to the table and each seemed to have their own strengths and weaknesses.
The first emerging designer to show was Eleanor Morgan Hoffman whose line is called Eleanor Morgan. This collection was a mixture of evening gowns and daywear. However, it wasn’t my personal favorite. There was a black gown that was gorgeous but other than that there were no major stand out pieces. I think Eleanor has talent but the collection seemed a little bland. There are those collections you never forget and there are the ones that fall by the wayside. Sadly, this was the latter. Being that Eleanor is so young (only 22) she certainly has time to grow because she has potential she just needs fine tuning.
Next up was Julie Wheat with a killer swimwear and ready to wear collection. Think 1950s pin-up girl, Audrey Hepburn, or Marilyn Monroe and you’ve got Julie’s collection. With bright colors, high waisted suits and a few dresses, Julie was definitely inspired by 1950s American culture. I really liked the high waisted suits, there was this blue one that my favorite and also there was a white dress with red polka dots that was awesome! Overall, the collection was very impressive and I really enjoyed seeing it.
The third designer was Sasha Gil who definitely stuck to her name by showing Sasha Fierce dresses, jumpsuits, and two piece outfits. Sasha is a native New Yorker although she’s now based in Atlanta. Sasha’s collection definitely fit the pulse of New York City nightlife. With sexy hourglass silhouettes built for a woman with curves, Sasha showed a collection that was for the girl who likes to party and look sexy while she’s doing it. There was a magenta colored dress with a gold zipper down the back, a pink top with white slacks, and a cool black jumpsuit. There is undeniable talent in Sasha and she definitely has a chance to make it as a designer. I also loved the styling and her music which consisted of Keri Hilson & Rihanna. The music & styling set the tone which is important when showing a collection because you have to set the mood so people understand what they’re seeing on the runway.Ā This collection was superb because of its design and presentation.
Lastly, we had the night’s winner (he’ll move onto the finals on Saturday) Michael Wiernicki. It seems both Cody & Michael were able to cash in on the “save the best for last” cliche because they both showed last and both will be at the finals on Saturday. Michael’s collection was the most original because of the design aesthetic. He used the strong shoulder but instead on certain outfits it would be detached from the rest of the clothing. In essence, the model’s shoulder pads were more of an accessory than a part of the outfit. The best example is a menswear outfit he did, and this Lady Gaga look a like black jacket. I loved the Lady Gaga type piece because it seemed to pay homage to megastar whose worn something similar to the red carpert. Also, there was this sick sequin outfit that was the perfect mix of color, this ensemble was my favorite. Michael’s collection was strong and his designs are comparable to Balmain as far as looks go. He deserved his win although I’m glad I didn’t have to pick between him and Sasha because between the two of them, I couldn’t have picked, they were just too good.
I’m leaving Charleston today so I’ll keep you guys posted on how the competition pans out. Also I’ll be featuring the posts of other bloggers who are covering the shows as well. Charleston has been awesome and I’d certainly recommend coming to this fashion week, if you can!
And there it is. The Fashion & Style of the Pen…de la Pen.
