SLIDESHOW: SAM MENDOZA 2009 RUNWAY SHOW
VIDEO: SAM MENDOZA 2009 RUNWAY SHOW
The event may have been named “Darkwave Disco,” but Sam Mendoza’s Tuesday night show at the Liberty Hotel was definitely more chic than le freak. The city’s most fashionable set gathered on the hotel’s fourth and fifth floors to see the local wunderkind’s latest creations, and after a late start, they were treated to more than two dozen looks in a mostly cohesive collection, one with more stand-outs than missteps.
The models circling the Liberty’s rotundas were largely clad in flowing, almost diaphanous fabrics in solid colors, mostly rich purples and deep blues, grays and blacks, with some pops of chartreuse and shocking pink, all paired together in interesting (and, with a few exceptions, appealing) ways. There were a lot of modern Grecian looks, with flatteringly asymmetrical off-the-shoulder dresses draped in a way that seemed loose and easy without veering into sloppy territory. High-necked halter dresses also made frequent appearances, focusing attention on the back and allowing for some understated sex appeal. Oftentimes these pieces had ties criss-crossing up the back, but two of my favorites kept it simple, one with just a single slim strap swooping from one shoulder down to the opposite hip, another leaving the back dramatically bare. Both these lovely little numbers made their wearers look red-carpet-ready. Several capes also fluttered by, and one in a delicately pale gray was elegant enough to put any little-red-riding-hood connotations out of your mind for good. Overall, the looks were light and airy yet body-conscious, a feat all the more impressive given the amounts of fabric involved.
Mendoza rocks a slightly rough-around-the-edges aesthetic, but there were a few pieces that looked a little unfinished. This was particularly a case with the evening’s lone look in a print, which included a jacket in a more structured fabric that demanded fastidious sewing. Pacing was also occasionally an issue, as attendees were sometimes left waiting a bit for the next model to strut by. The choice of music may have had something to do with that, but the heavy, downtempo beats weren’t enough to subdue the scene, especially at the end, when a grinning Mendoza ran around the rotunda with his crew. The crowd seemed buoyant, buzzed — and it wasn’t just the champagne. Watching the progress of a prodigiously talented and endearing young designer like Mendoza can be quite a high.
