DESIGNER Cynthia Rowley is known for being bold (she invited every major New York editor to her apartment to see her first collection), and for being a survivor (none attended, but she soldiered on), and her show, at the Lincoln Center on a glittering, golden set, hit those points home. As if unable to make up her mind, Rowley's show was a mixing pot of different ideas, a zany ride of divergent ideas crashing into each other with delightful results.
Messy, artful paint splatters, psychedelic florals with, haphazard brushstrokes, leather lattice, Baroque adornments and gilded geometrical designs seemingly crowded every inch of fabric molded into feminine, shapely frocks, skintight pants, slouchy wovens, swirling skirts, and smooth, shimmering formalwear. There was a chaotic busyness and a arch extravagance to the show, a feeling that one never knew what could happen next. To serve as momentary reprieves, the occasional unadorned flouncy cocktail dress would appear, the very model of flirtatious simplicity and a smart foil to the unbridled energy that surrounded them. Perhaps most interestingly, though, was the designer's ability to demonstrate that looking cool is not exclusive to girls wearing morose, drooping layers of black—a common preconception. There was a sense of energy and creative drive to her garments that was unpolished but sweet. While other designers are starting to dip a proverbial toe into the daunting world of splashy colours, Rowley preferred to dive right in and indulge in the lovely untidiness, finding the sophisticated finesse lurking beneath the surface.
SEE THE CYNTHIA ROWLEY SHOW ARCHIVE