Designer Lela Rose drew inspiration for the Fall/Winter ’09 Collection of her eponymous line from the rich, jewel-like colors of the rainforest. A self-proclaimed “big fan of color,” the designer swathed her models in deep emerald greens, brilliant purples and turquoises, shimmering golds, and vibrant crimsons. Wanting to evoke the enchanted forest and all its magical charms, she felt that “this season has both evolved [from last season ]but is new: new shapes, new colors…but the big feature is its really amazing color. “This season is about the jewel- tones that come from the rainforest; we’ve cocoon-wrapped shapes…it’s got a little bit of an enchanted quality but at the same time we know who our customer is and we want to offer her that.” The ombre sequined dresses and tops in shades of turquoise and mustard; the pleated satin cocktail dress in a fascinating crimson; the cobalt redux tweed puff-sleeve jacket; the vertically-dyed splashes of apple green and moss on dresses and skirts; the folded open-collared dress and Grecian-draped evening gowns in gold and white; even the chunky gemstone and bronze bell jewelry evoked a dreamy opulence that was undeniably wearable.
The nine styles of shoes appearing on the runway consisted of Lela Rose’s 9th exclusive line for Payless. Featuring Rose’s signature use of rich fabrics like multi-color tweeds as well as “knot-less” bow accents designed to look like insect wings, the architectural heels appeared in a kaleidoscope of colors that included a punchy magenta and bold chartreuse (reminiscent of a butterfly’s wings or the petals of a wildflower). The designer’s signature use of layering and mixing various textures was employed as a play on the idea of an insect’s exoskeleton. “Working with the team at Payless is always a joy,” Rose said. “They understand what I offer aesthetically as a designer and do a great job of turning my vision into reality. The Lela Rose customer is feminine, but always looking for something special and a bit unexpected – thanks to Payless’ great prices, I am able to reach a much broader audience.” Arriving at Payless stores in September of this year, the average pricepoint for a pair is below $45. For more information visit www.paylessontherunway.com.
Celebrity makeup artist Tina Turnbow for Beauty.com used Stila Cosmetics to create an update on the smoky eye; instead of using blacks or grays, she perfected a smudgy jade color. Using the ChaCha and Mystic (a shimmering teal blue) Stila Eye Shadow Pan colors, Kajal Eyeliners in Emerald and Pearl ($18), and Stila Smudge Pot Liner in Jade Shimmer ($20), she created a multi-dimensional emerald-ringed eye, perfect for Fall 2009. The face was smoothed with Sheer Color Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15 ($34), Perfecting Concealer B ($23), and then dusted over with Sheer Pressed Powder ($28). Convertible Color cream to powder blush in New Camellia ($25) grazed the cheeks, Praline Lip Glaze ($22) glossed the lips, and as a final touch, pink and beige shimmer shadows was brushed over the brows and high cheekbones.
Nonie Crème from butter LONDON created a catwalk wet look for the nails by starting with a coat of butter LONDON’s Swinger 3 Free Nail Polish ($14) (a pale, sheer, ‘antique’ gold), and then adding a coat of white pearl over the top to create a light, shimmery nail in an opalescent hue.
Celebrity hair artist Ted Gibson utilized the rainforest inspiration to create a “a sophisticated, insect-like shape” for the hair. He took the chic-ness of the classic ponytail, and made it current by backcombing the entire front part of the head, putting in a center part, and pulling it all back into a ponytail. The focus on the runway became the bump at the top of the head – creating a beetle-like silhouette when viewed from the front. The artist used Build It blow-drying spray ($28) to first create the texture and the voluminous shape. He finished off with
Overall, the synchronism of the hair, makeup, nails, and clothing evoked an enchanted femininity despite its insectoid references; the shimmering, brilliant colors, rich fabrics, and classic styling will likely fare well in the season to come.
-Carly J. Cais
