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 Phillip
D. Johnson examines the freshmen and sophomore classes of New
York Fashion Week:
Y & Kei, Vasseur-Esquivel, Dres, Gustavo Arango, B. Michael,
Riaka D., Multi by Bree, Paul Hardy, Paris Gordon, and Ashaka Givens
& Lorraine West
PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHERYL GORSKI, RICHARD
SPIEGEL AND THE AUTHOR
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Ashaka Givens remained true
to her roots of ‘making women feel confident and beautiful’
by showcasing pieces that played well to her strengths as a
designer
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 HE
FASHION INDUSTRY lives and dies based on the amount of new
blood that enters its ranks. As such, those who made up the freshmen
and sophomore class of the spring 2004 market week in New York City
contributed in innumerably positive ways to it an overwhelming success.
Not every collection was an across-the-board success but they gave
it their all; and the experience will serve to sharpen their future
efforts that much better. At least, that is the hope.
Ashaka Givens and Lorraine West
 
ABOVE, FROM TOP: Givens and
West. |
WHEN YOU START TALKING about young
up-and-coming designers who have the potential to go all the way,
you have to begin with Ashaka Givens and Lorraine West, two bright
and talented designers with their studio and showroom based in Brooklyn
(315 Gold Street, Suite 3 South). Ms Givens, 30, a 1996 graduate
of Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology, believes that ‘the
spirit transcending my work corresponds with my motto [in that]
creative expression has no limits, and always delving deep within
yourself is the key to individualism’. This is reflected in her
use of fabrics and materials used in creating her designs, which
over the years, have included leather, raffia, jerseys and silks,
with an underlying focus on the intrinsic relationship between nature
and the body.
‘When designing I usually become inspired by culture
and fabrics,’ says Ms Givens. ‘… I also play with balance, soft
and hard. For instance, a silk chiffon top with burned and delicately
beaded edges. It just mixes it up for me. I love working with jersey
fabrics because it’s easy to wear and comfortably drapes over a
women’s frame. For men, I tend to favour working with leather and
denim to create funky takes on a classic look.’
Her clientèle includes many of the top
names in the music and film business including Erykah Badu, actress
Rosario Dawson and André Benjamin of the Grammy-nominated
group, Outkast. Her designs have been on view on various award shows
including the Grammys, the American Music Awards, the MTV
Video and Music Awards, the VH1 Music
and Fashion Awards, and the Soul Train music awards.
For spring 2004, she remained true to her roots
of ‘making women feel confident and beautiful’ by showcasing pieces
that played well to her strengths as a designer. Her selection of
gowns ran the gamut from a white floor-length jersey cowl neck design
with an asymmetrical hem ($342) to a strapless silk yellow hand-beaded
gown ($1,283). Her cocktail dresses and other separates followed
the same theme: beautiful designs that make a woman feel like a
Hollywood star, all at reasonable prices. Other standout pieces
from the collection include her sassy mermaid cascade skirt, a halter
cowl neck top dress with a fringed cascade bottom and virtually
all the blouses and tops shown at the viewing. The collection itself
is reasonably priced, with the average cost of a top or a bottom
being $92 and a dress $182. Moreover, of course, her designs were
the perfect companions to Ms West’s jewellery.
CONTINUED
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