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Multi by Bree (Barbara Harris)
IT WAS A DREAM of Barbara ‘Bree’
Harris to pursue her first love, fashion design, but her parents
steered her into what they felt was a more practical direction—university
study. Now, at age 55, after having two very successful careers
(as a human resources’ executive for several international companies
and in the non-profit business field), she has launched herself
as a fashion designer with her first collection debuting during
the spring 2004 fashion week. It’s still a dream deferred. Maybe
it was the show space itself. We really could have used some more
lighting alongside the catwalk. Maybe, just maybe, it was the fact
that she seemed to have skimped on her choice of fabrics. If one
is to compete in the piranha-fish tank known as the New York fashion
industry, it behoves you to put your absolutely best foot forward.
After all, people in this industry tend to stick hard and fast to
their first impressions. Maybe, and this is a big maybe, she could
have picked better models. These girls are not known as human clothes
hangers for nothing.
Whatever the reason, this collection was more
of a miss than a hit. There were some pieces that rose above the
carnage, and ultimately, this was her redeeming quality. Because
when she was good, she was very good. When she was less than good,
it was horrid.
Ms Harris has a definite knack for eveningwear,
and this showed up in the cut of her jackets, the way in which her
dresses hung so well on the models and her innate understanding
of what a woman’s needs are when she’s going out on the town. The
stand-out pieces in this début collection were her red silk
long skirt paired with a red silk shawl collar top, the sexy navy
silk tuxedo jacket and pant with chiffon sleeves and crystal-button
trim, her aqua suede dress with ruffled shoulder straps and her
mauve silk top with long skirt. All these pieces had the one requirement
her prospective customers are looking for: they are classic cut
designs that have the potential to become foundation pieces in a
woman’s wardrobe.
For day, she seemed to flounder a bit more in
her efforts to define herself. Sometimes it was a case of adding
one too many embellishments, and in other instances, she zigged
when she should have zagged. By this, I mean that there are designs
that could benefit from a little post-show fine-tuning. But this
is her first collection. She has a lot of time left to develop her
skills and to become a competent and inventive designer. We look
forward to watching her progress in the industry.
Paris Gordon
 PARIS
GORDON’S design philosophy
is steeped in the belief that every woman can enhance her assets
by accentuating her figure with the right shape, drape and fit of
clothing. Inspired by the inherent beauty in all women, Ms Gordon
believes that women of all ages and sizes ‘can all look gorgeous
[and the key is to] learn your shape and how to balance your figure.’
A former celebrity stylist who has worked for the design houses
of Ralph Lauren, Pierre Cardin and Victor Costa, she has spent years
honing her skills in the fine art of draping and tailoring fabrics,
ultimately developing a technique to create the perfect system of
offering the advantage of ready-to-wear style with a custom fit
component.
Ms Gordon recently launched her début ready-to-wear
collection, one that is impacted with equal parts feminine sophistication
and easy glamour, and light on the wallet.
In this collection, she managed to combine an
understated uptown girl sensibility with a downtown rock-’n’-roll
æsthetic, resulting an overall look that seemed just right
and not the least bit discordant. For day, it was an artful mix
of trousers made from wool, silk diploni, denim, linen and selected
menswear fabrics, which were then paired with flirty, ruffled blouses
in airy crinkled chiffon, fitted sexy camisoles with embroidered
lace edges, kimono tops and softly tailored jackets. The daytime
looks ranges from a straightforward cropped jacket and pant suit
in black Capri wool to dressy versatile day-to-evening pieces such
as her cream crêpe-backed satin ‘Lucy’ pant paired with a
black crinkled chiffon ‘Ashley’ tank top.
She segued from day to evening: for evening, she
ratcheted up the glamour quotient a notch or two, sending out beautiful
combinations of trousers and tops accentuated with a judicious sprinkling
of beading, bows and hand-painted flowers, and Chantilly lace over
charmeuse-lined pants. Stand-out looks in this section of the presentation
includes her cream crinkled chiffon (with double-faced satin) kimono
top paired with her ‘Katherine’ blush Super 100s wool pants and
her ‘Paris’ glen plaid lace overlaid pant topped by her black ‘Lisa’
charmeuse top. Other worthy designs include her ice blue duchess
satin ‘Heather’ tuxedo pant (with chiffon tie accent) and its corresponding
ice-blue duchess satin ‘Alma’ jacket and the silver brocade pant
suit that closed out the show.
Each piece in the collection is designed to mix
and match with every other design, allowing for limitless wardrobe
options. The collection is currently available through private order
and in select speciality stores nationwide, with trousers retailing
from $500 to $5000 and tops from $200 to $800. For more information
on the collection and requests for custom-made pieces, please contact
Robin Butera, the Paris Gordon Collection Showroom Coordinator at
1 212 564-6254 or email robin @parisgordon.com.
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Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor of Lucire.
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Paris Gordon managed to combine
an understated uptown girl sensibility with a downtown rock-’n’-roll
æsthetic, resulting an overall look that seemed just right and not
the least bit discordant
 
 
ABOVE: Paris Gordon
spring 2004.
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