For Spring 2011 Gottex Invites You to Lounge by a Pool In a Galaxy Far, Far Away
POSTED September 15, 2010
FASHION WEEK
Alexander Patino
This is what Miami’s Swim Week 2011 was missing. Gottex gets to show at the tents at MBFW because it dares to explore the furthest corners of very strict parameters and succeeds.
With Gottex, Molly Grad flexes real swimwear muscle – showing that her niche has a place in high-fashion and that lounging by a pool can be a real sartorial statement. Pedestrian is not
part of the Gottex vocabulary.
Space-age resort-wear in ruched and foiled-metal Lycra, rubberized zippers, woven lurex, clad in encrusted sequins, sheared tulle, hammered titanium, rock crystals and laminated prints
strutted down the catwalk – bringing staple pieces like bandeaus, kimonos and bikinis to a peaked level of luxury. Many, if not most, of these garments will never actually touch the water.
Except for pieces like Grad’s white ruched Lycra bikini, mono-kini and swimsuits are some of the more practical in the line-up, but it doesn’t take long to figure out that the real strength of
this runway is the showmanship.
There’s a lot of luxury to choose from here, but it wasn’t without its few missteps here and there. The fit on top of a sunset resort cocktail dress with embellished matching printed sequins
was a distraction, and stuck out amongst the parade of body-conscious garments that came before and after it. And the most unforgiving was a silver metalized encrusted elastic swimsuit
with a metalized crochet dress. The bottom, seen under beautiful sheer detail looked like a male jock-strap. Whatever galaxy Grad wants to take us, that is just not a good look. But that’s
just two things to complain about in a show of 44 looks that took us to a different time and place from the get-go and sustained that luxurious futuristic feel to the very end.
With Gottex, Molly Grad flexes real swimwear muscle – showing that her niche has a place in high-fashion and that lounging by a pool can be a real sartorial statement. Pedestrian is not
part of the Gottex vocabulary.
Space-age resort-wear in ruched and foiled-metal Lycra, rubberized zippers, woven lurex, clad in encrusted sequins, sheared tulle, hammered titanium, rock crystals and laminated prints
strutted down the catwalk – bringing staple pieces like bandeaus, kimonos and bikinis to a peaked level of luxury. Many, if not most, of these garments will never actually touch the water.
Except for pieces like Grad’s white ruched Lycra bikini, mono-kini and swimsuits are some of the more practical in the line-up, but it doesn’t take long to figure out that the real strength of
this runway is the showmanship.
There’s a lot of luxury to choose from here, but it wasn’t without its few missteps here and there. The fit on top of a sunset resort cocktail dress with embellished matching printed sequins
was a distraction, and stuck out amongst the parade of body-conscious garments that came before and after it. And the most unforgiving was a silver metalized encrusted elastic swimsuit
with a metalized crochet dress. The bottom, seen under beautiful sheer detail looked like a male jock-strap. Whatever galaxy Grad wants to take us, that is just not a good look. But that’s
just two things to complain about in a show of 44 looks that took us to a different time and place from the get-go and sustained that luxurious futuristic feel to the very end.
Photo Credit: Fernando Colon
| View Coverage of MBFW NY Spring/Summer 2011 DAY 1 - DAY 2 - DAY 3 - DAY 4 - DAY 5 - DAY 6 - CURRENT - DAY 8 |
 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
OneStopPlus.com’s First MBFW Outting Was Not a Total Cause for Celebration
POSTED September 15, 2010
FASHION WEEK
Alexander Patino
It was a star-studded event at Columbus Circle’s Rose Hall for OneStopPlus.com’s first-ever MBFW collection. Gabourey Sidibe, Nikky Blonsky, Real Housewife's star Caroline Manzo and
"America’s Next Top Model’s" first plus-size winner Whitney Thompson were all sitting front-row at the Emme hosted event.
For the line’s first MBFW venture, Galina Monaco and VP of Design Zahir Babvani wanted to evoke Belle Epoque, or “the Golden Age” of the plus-sized woman through five separate
dynamics: Artisan Drape, Acquatica Lace, Ethereal Denim, Cargo Femme and Guilded Shine. The show opened with a surprisingly beautiful asymmetrical draped dress. The side sheering
and the short length only complimented the natural curves and accentuated the beautiful length of the legs. But almost immediately, the drawbacks of the show became all-too-clear. The
beauty styling was very off the mark. The make-up looked matronly and the hair – tied in a braided ponytail in the back – was absolutely egregious. It’s hard to imagine how they could’ve
ruined their look more. The awful styling had enough ugly in it to make “ok” dresses into all-together unflattering looks.
The blazers were matronly as well, the lace blouses lacked form and structure and when we finally get to Ethereal Denim, there was nothing ethereal about it. The denim looked cheap and
was tinted with a terrible purple hue. All in all, the entire color story did the very opposite of what one would hope for a plus-size line. It’s supposed to be the Belle Epoque for plus-sized
women – so why make dowdy cruise pants or that sleep-inducing, dull blue jumper? At OneStopPlus.com shorter is apparently better. The cruise shorts were absolutely fantastic, as was a
guilded bouquet dress and an embellished draped dress of the Artisan Drape family, but garments like Acquatica’s lace muumuu were much more prevalent – making the call for a Belle
Epoque celebration a tad bit premature.
"America’s Next Top Model’s" first plus-size winner Whitney Thompson were all sitting front-row at the Emme hosted event.
For the line’s first MBFW venture, Galina Monaco and VP of Design Zahir Babvani wanted to evoke Belle Epoque, or “the Golden Age” of the plus-sized woman through five separate
dynamics: Artisan Drape, Acquatica Lace, Ethereal Denim, Cargo Femme and Guilded Shine. The show opened with a surprisingly beautiful asymmetrical draped dress. The side sheering
and the short length only complimented the natural curves and accentuated the beautiful length of the legs. But almost immediately, the drawbacks of the show became all-too-clear. The
beauty styling was very off the mark. The make-up looked matronly and the hair – tied in a braided ponytail in the back – was absolutely egregious. It’s hard to imagine how they could’ve
ruined their look more. The awful styling had enough ugly in it to make “ok” dresses into all-together unflattering looks.
The blazers were matronly as well, the lace blouses lacked form and structure and when we finally get to Ethereal Denim, there was nothing ethereal about it. The denim looked cheap and
was tinted with a terrible purple hue. All in all, the entire color story did the very opposite of what one would hope for a plus-size line. It’s supposed to be the Belle Epoque for plus-sized
women – so why make dowdy cruise pants or that sleep-inducing, dull blue jumper? At OneStopPlus.com shorter is apparently better. The cruise shorts were absolutely fantastic, as was a
guilded bouquet dress and an embellished draped dress of the Artisan Drape family, but garments like Acquatica’s lace muumuu were much more prevalent – making the call for a Belle
Epoque celebration a tad bit premature.
