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She also has one of the most fun sites on the
web, www.anna sui.com.
Not only is it easily accessible, it’s a fount of useful information
about her various collections and products. By mere chance, it is
the gateway to a secondary site, www.annasuibeauty.com,
where you can find out everything you need to know about your favourite
Anna Sui lipstick, shop for favourite Anna Sui fragrance or eau
de toilette and dig into her bag of tricks (‘Annagrams’, Chat Lounge
and Beauty Tips advice column).
Carmen Marc Valvo
CARMEN MARC VALVO’S
collections are usually so beautiful, and the resulting designs
are known for indulging his clients’ Cinderella fantasies of going
to the ball, transforming herself for her own special event. Through
his early training at Parsons and subsequent professional affiliation
with the design houses of Nina Ricci and Christian Dior in Paris,
Mr Valvo is well versed in the art of designing glamourous; high-impart
eveningwear that won’t necessarily max out your charge cards.
For spring 2004, his contribution to fashion week
was a solid design effort based around selected themes. Because
his clients are women who are extremely socially active, he gave
them a vast multiple of choices from which to choose from. For those
early evening cocktail receptions, he sent out wonderful pairing
of tops and skirts or pants that will amply fit the occasion. For
example, he paired a fitted black vertical lace shirt with a black
lightweight tropical wool pant that, if needs be, could also serve
as respectable office wear providing a jacket is added to the mix.
His take on the lady and the tramp was to pair
a pink peony sueded python motorcycle jacket with a delicate spiral
ruffled skirt. He used the corset look to great effect, particularly
when he paired a white crocodile bustier with a black silk chiffon
petal skirt and a rose silk faille bustier with a black silk chiffon
lace inset skirt. Several 1920s flapper-influenced pieces were sent
out at the top of the presentation including his rose silk chiffon
blouson cocktail dress.
The choices for evening are even more impressive.
For spring-themed designs, he sent out beautiful pieces such as
his flowing white silk chiffon cabbage rose and his morning glory
print silk chiffon gowns. For upscale, sophisticate glamour, one
cannot go wrong wearing his white silk chantilly lace gown, his
black silk chiffon (plunging neckline) gown with ribbon appliqué
accents or black beaded empire gown.
Douglas Hannant
DOUGLAS HANNANT certainly has a loyal
following but his is not a name that’s on the tip of everyone’s
tongue—yet. Almost like a stealth designer, he has spent years under
the radar perfecting his craft; and it has only been in the past
two or three years that he has begun to show the full range of his
talents and skills.
Hot on the heels of a very successful fall 2003
collection, Mr Hannant kept the parade going with an ethereally
beautiful collection for spring 2004. With a colour palette that
stayed firmly in the soft, neutral zone, he managed, in a seemingly
effortless manner, to send out the perfect collection for this moment
in fashion history. While it was very much in that “pretty pretty”
zone, what it was missing (and thankfully so) was the saccharine-sweet
effect that some other designers could not escape in their presentations.
CONTINUED
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Douglas Hannant kept the parade
going with an ethereally beautiful collection for spring. While
in that “pretty pretty” zone, it was missing (thankfully) the saccharine-sweet
effect that others could not escape
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