There’s something so hopeful about viewing a new swimsuit collection in September. It almost makes the upcoming winter seem like a momentary diversion from the excellent summer that awaits just a few calendar pages away. And what better way to fantasize about next summer than by viewing vivacious, dramatic suits by Gideon Oberson, in a collection that is as bold and bright as it is novel.

The collection centered heavily on objects incorporated into the apparel: anchors, orchids, leaves and even chopsticks were integrated into suits in all manner of curious ways. And while a few presented what might be considered slight physical debilitations (I am quite curious as to how one is supposed to swim in a suit with two chopsticks poking into your belly), the LOOK was really fantastic and inspiring. I particularly enjoy the anchor series, which utilizes ship anchors as the connector between the top and bottom of the suits. It never occurred to me how feminine the shape of an anchor actually was until Oberson laid it over the form of a woman, and now that he has I can’t believe it is not used more often in this manner.

Images courtesy of Wire Image (via NYPost)

My only concern about this collection is that some of the reliance on objects could at times come precariously close to swinging over into kitsch; the worst offender a leaf encrusted shift, is a diaphanous affair whose bodice is entirely composed of gold-leaf leaves. The piece seemed more suited for a scene in Elizabeth Taylor’s “Cleopatra” than the runway – it just felt a bit too theatrical for my tastes. However, this really was the only piece I didn’t like in this collection – and I tip my hat to Gottex for successfully walking that thin red line between artistic and odd.

My positively favorite piece in the collection is the black orchid shift. The piece was one of the more abstract outfits in the collection, composed of soft lines, flowing, diaphanous material and an image of an orchid so enlarged it resembles a piece of modern art more than a flower. Sexy and casual, I could see this as easily paired for a night out as with a pair of jeans – i utterly covet it.

Oberson also gets kudos for integrating many decorations that would seem downright tricky to translate into swimwear. For instance, this was the last show I anticipated seeing fringe at, but lo and behold, Gottex has managed to create a fringe bathing suit top that bears all the elegance of a mink stole. The big bow bikini was also quite a pleaser.

Of course, I was positively tickled to see my beloved ombre made an appearance too, in a brilliant transition from tan to pink to orange. Good to see that this is a style that continues to be explored more this upcoming spring.

House of Casette is an independent fashion label based in Los Angeles. The brand is spearheaded by Peter James Lee, a designer who has traveled extensively, and formerly worked for Puma.

Cassette’s fashion is built upon strong, well crafted basics, and Sunday’s collection was no exception. Menswear definitely dominated the night, perfecting mens’ slim shorts and trousers in tight tailoring and careful form. Tops and outerwear held a schoolyard flare: whether tough bully, nerd, or reform school good boy. Men’s shorts have been slowly rising in the ranks in terms of formality and popularity, and Cassette continued and perfected this trend, pairing slim shorts with dress shirts, cardigans and bow ties. I find the effect totally captivating: I feel it makes the men look like they are mature, yet still hold that element of youthful innocence. Cassette prides itself in not being over processed, and the tactility of the simple fabrics was palpable. The majority of pieces were in black, I imagine to optimize utility.

Womenswear kept it simple and well sculpted, concentrating on blousy tops and dresses, many inspired or spun off from the simple t-shirt, and trousers tight and tapered. Hemlines were kept short, often paired with tights and leggings. I particularly liked the hooded jacket (shown above), carefully formed in such a way that it accomplished the “hiding” look without the making it look like it was overwhelming the wearer.

Cassette brands itself as a avant-garde fashion house, and I think it was just those anti-establishment choices that are the main reasons for the reservations I came away with in this show. Particularly, I found it hard to resolve a spring collection that could be so determinedly centered around a black color palette, though I can understand the sentiment. The pieces were great basics – the kind of items you could feel being a part of an outfit, but not the center of it. Garments were strongly constructed and brilliantly formed, but also very “safe”: I would have enjoyed seeing boundaries pushed a bit out of current popular trend. By the end of the show, when the models came out for their final walk decked in Cassette’s notoriously brilliant array of colorful jeans, I felt a wash of relief to finally see a bit of color. However, let it be said that I am nothing if not an extremely colorful person – monochronism is a style I have pondered and written about in the past, and there is something inherently in it that I have a hard time fathoming and digesting.

All in all, I feel the House of Cassette is a fashion house with a lot of talent in the wings. They appear to be making clothes that many people desire to wear, conforming to the wearer’s needs rather than trying to determine it for them, a sentiment I can respect, if not agree to entirely. I look forward to seeing what they turn out in the next few years, and whether time will bring with it the ability to take more risks, and really blow us all away.

Rubin Singer is a designer with a head for elegance, and his newest collection once more taps into his classic-fresh aesthetic, incorporating fun pop elements into classic fashion forms.

Images courtesy of Coutorture.com

Stripes and polka-dots are leveraged with careful grace in much of the evening wear, colored in strong blacks and lovely champagne hues. The combination is timeless, yet not as severe as the black/white duo often associated with these forms. Whether it’s popping dots on a full length gown, or bold candy-stripes on a short no-nonsense number, the results are dresses that succeed in being both extremely elegant and divinely fun. The music played during the display of these pieces was built around lines by Sinatra, who I feel really encapsulates the spirit of these outfits – that suave formality, with a charming, devilish sense of fun.

Images courtesy of Coutorture.com

Outerwear was also very notable in this collection, playing off of dramatic, bold shapes and larger-than-life details. Audible praise could be heard in the audience at the appearance of the champagne jacket, bearing an over-sized hood and striped interior. A cool silver woodgrain fabric was a nice counterpoint to the warmth of the champagne/black combinations, and a unique way to modernize such an organic design.

Images courtesy of Coutorture.com

Prints were splashy and painterly, shown in either a vivacious wash of orange, blues and violet or a subtler inky blue, whose mountain and fan shapes seem to carry an Asian influence. Pieces utilizing these fabrics were less structured, and more loose and flowing, centering on the movement of the fabric to fully convey the loose movement translated in the fabric print.

All together, the collection was a brilliant introduction to Fashion Week – Singer is a classic designer, and his collection this season is an exciting preview of the season to come.