“I feel like we’re sort of living in a dark moment,” designer Mona Kowalska noted backstage before her fall runway. “How do we deal with that?” Her proposition was to create luminosity through intriguing clothes with a can-do spirit.
Her customer is a bit of an arty, quirky kind of chic, so you’re not getting anything too classic here. Simple looking pieces were slightly modified to enhance style, such as a black slipdress that consisted of two pieces connected at the bust, so if you wanted to layer with a tonal sweater, the black pieces could look broken up. It’s a kind of piece that lends itself to improvisation.
This sense of illusion manifested elsewhere, too. The reflective sequins of a dress and skirt were actually printed for a great trompe l’oeil effect. It appeared more modestly as flower petals on roomy dresses. Mesh was also driven away from a sportier direction when printed with florals and cut into breathable skirts and dresses. Kowalska’s customers won’t mind the lightweight fabric for fall, as they favor layering and can warm up with heavy socks. That isn’t to say there weren’t some great fall items; the teddy bear fur cardigans embraced cold weather. “That’s what’s nice about winter…something layered and with more depth to it.”