*I meant to post this last week but was waiting for Allison Joyce’s photos…so last, but not least….Zang Toi!
The last show I attended at Mercedez Benz Fashion Week was that of Zang Toi. I wondered when I recieved my invitation why the time for the show was listed ast 3.57. I later learned that the designer, Zang Toi, was born and raised in Malaysia, and thinks the number “four” is a bad omen that sounds like the word for “death” in Cantonese. Apparently, Zang Toi won’t use the number “4” for anything, so when he was given the time slot of 4pm on Friday, February 9th to mount his show, he requested that people assemble at 3″47 instead of having to list 4pm.
Apparently, the time slot was popular with fashionistas, many of whom arrived early, invitations in hand, only to be given standing room slots. I was one of the members of the press that was invited, but received a standing room ticket. I was close to the front of the standing room line and I really wanted to see the show, but it was not only delayed (nothing special about that–many of the shows are delayed) but the standing room line was so long it was doubtful that many of us would get in.
Finally, someone walked down the standing room line asking if there were any writers or photographers in the line and called us out to walk in first. Allison Joyce, an up-and-coming young photographer taking photos for The Advice Sisters for this show, and I, found places to see the show. Me, from the third row (behind some tall people whose heads appear in too many of my Zang Toi photos), Allison, from the side of the photographer’s pit.
Photo by Alison Blackman
photo by Allison Joyce
This settled into a director’s chair (behind two very tall people with big hair, alas), I checked out the runway. At the front there was a large black and white poster with Zang Toi’s logo, surrounded by deep, red, roses. This was the backdrop for day and evening clothes that exluded elegance and extravagance, but were still quite wearable.
The theme of the show was “The Iconic Catherine Denueve.” I didn’t quite “get” that from the 43 looks that went down the runway (quite a lot of clothes, I thought). But it was quite a show! Lush brocade, lots of fur, jewelled pins, and collars of beads that make additional jewelry totally redundant, sashayed down the runway on models with large halo poufs of romantic, ruffed curls by Eiji Salon. The makeup was done by NARS, and I’ll try to get you more information so you can “do the look” for Fall. Manicures, which I didn’t get close enough to see, were by J. Sisters.
These styles are extravagant, a bit bohemian, and expensive looking. There were deep, jewel-toned colors…red, green, rust, beige, and more! Although I’m not familiar with Zang Toi’s past collections, this one said “fun” and “youthful” to me. The clothes were a also a bit irreverant–just the kind of thing I can image Patty Hearst wearing to a cotillion, during her days before she was kidnapped! (photo by Allison Joyce)
If you don’t want to see your clothes on every other woman out there, and you’ve got the “means,” Zang Toi might be just the prescription!