by Meghan Wright
My favorite part of New Orleans Fashion week is getting to see first hand the local talent we have and the creativity of our local designers. It isn’t just about New York and Paris, all of those people had to come from somewhere and I’m convinced some of our locals will one day be there. I was very excited to check out Construct Jewelry and Amanda deLeon’s presentations, and was definitely not disappointed.
(Click on the photos to make them larger and see more detail)
Construct Jewelry
So I might be a bit of a nerd for all things local, and I am certainly a lover of all things vintage. Construct Jewelry is a wonderful combination of those two elements. Designer Lauren Eckstein takes those beautiful, rare vintage pieces I love and revamps them to give them a more modern feel, but without losing their classic touch.
The presentation itself was an interesting one. A lovely room at the soon-to-be art gallery, restaurant and music venue Cellar Door was decorated with Lauren’s pieces and very patient models wearing them. They sat posed, like breathing mannequins while we made our way around the room viewing the pieces. I like the way it was presented, we all got to see how the pieces could be worn, and how they actually looked on a person rather than laid out delicately on a table. They weren’t flying by in a runway setting demanding a second look.
Amanda deLeon
Amanda deLeon is not one to lose focus on detail. Her presentation was small, but it was extravagant. When one thinks of fringe, they typically think of the flapper style of the ’20s or the boho style of the ’60s and ’70s. Amanda took fringe and made some fantastic pieces that one would not expect. The fringe pants had me drooling, until during the show a box was opened and out came a be-fringed (new word y’all) ballerina. Thinking of the work that went into those pieces made my lazy brain start to ache.
It was all so delicate, there was creme wool and purple silk adorned with intricately placed sequins. It was not as dark as Amanda’s usual fair, but still took classic pieces and materials and sent them away on an acid trip. The glitter-coated riding caps showed exactly how she adds fantastic madness to polished pieces. As I’ve said a thousand times, I cannot wait for her next collection.
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| Here’s some detail on those amazing pants |