Cure Her in Couture at the Four Seasons

It’s no surprise that Ovations for the Cure of Ovarian Cancer’s soiree at the Four Seasons on Saturday night was such a scene. The Natick-based nonprofit regularly hosts fashion shows around town in support of its cause, so Ovations’ event veterans of course put together a particularly fabulous installment of their Cure Her in Couture series for Boston Fashion Week. The well-dressed crowd rubbed elbows (and other parts — those hotel hallways and function rooms got quite congested), maneuvering their glasses of bubbly past a string trio, a tableau of models wrapped in furs, displays of high-end jewels and handbags, a light buffet of Asian bites, and a selection of silent-auction items before getting corralled into the ballroom for the three-part runway show.

First, Boston Fashion Week founder Jay Calderin introduced the three finalists in the Teal Dress Design Competition (teal is to ovarian cancer as pink is to breast cancer, and many in the crowd sported at least an accessory in that hue). The finalists were young designers, students or recent grads, who had raised money for Ovations online; their teal-colored dresses came down the runway before a panel of judges subjected the trio to a rather long Q&A (during which one poor finalist was asked about the “Lisa Frank-ish and juvenile” butterfly design on the back of her dress). The unmic’d finalists’ answers were almost totally inaudible, so the crowd took to whispering and shuffling in their seats until someone finally cried out “Pass the microphone!” Ultimately, first place went to Sarah Prost’s slinky deep-teal dress, whose vintage red accents, ‘20s silhouette, and dramatic headpiece (a nod to chemo-induced hair loss) paid tribute to her late grandmother, who recently lost her battle with ovarian cancer.

After the students had their moment, it was time for a fashion veteran: renowned shoe designer Stuart Weitzman. His urban-chic Fall 2010 collection centered on cold-weather staples, like fur-topped boots and sleek, shiny black booties and pumps, but was peppered with a few surprises, like an over-the-knee cowboy boot with a bold print. The models stomped down the catwalk in his shoes while clad in dark-hued looks (featuring lots of fur and leather) from local boutique Grettaluxe.

The wintry wear, however, was left behind for the evening’s main event: the debut of the Spring/Summer 2011 collection of 30-year-old Braintree-based designer Michael De Paulo. With the exception of the opening look (a sharp pantsuit in a silver fabric with a hint of shimmer to it), the collection consisted entirely of dresses, mostly floor-length strapless gowns in solid colors. Lots of mermaid silhouettes swam down the runway, though some shorter numbers with a more cocktail feel did surface as well. It’s hard not to be reminded of De Paulo’s background in architecture when taking in his gowns’ many structural elements — panels, pleats, scalloping, ruffles — which added mostly well-calibrated doses of drama. With a few rare exceptions (like a yellow cocktail dress whose back had an odd flounce that looked a little like a crinkled paper bag), his couture creations were flattering and beautifully made; these are pieces that put the special in special occasion. It’s not hard to see why he’s won a devoted following among many of the city’s boldfaced names since he entered the design scene in 2006.

De Paulo’s elegant evening wear is not particularly envelope-pushing, but perhaps that’s because playing it a little safe makes sense for the women he dresses, fixtures on the social scene who attend high-profile events where they’re guaranteed to get photographed from every angle. (And let’s face it, people: most of us don’t have the stones to pull off the likes of Lady Gaga’s meat dress.) His clients include women like Linda Pizzuti Henry, who wore a De Paulo design for her wedding to Red Sox owner John Henry last year, and jewelry designer Tonya Chen Mezrich, who has walked the red carpet clad in De Paulo gowns at the premieres of 21 and The Social Network, films based on her husband Ben’s books. In fact, Mezrich served as the hostess for the runway show, and she made an interesting announcement just before the models started strutting to DJ Michael Savant’s beats: she and De Paulo are teaming up to create a ready-to-wear line, “Mike & Ton.” What will happen when De Paulo applies his deft construction skills and signature sense of glamour to ready-to-wear, a realm rife with opportunities for infusing youthful playfulness and edge? I for one can’t wait to find out.