It’s been clear since Lionne’s runway debut just over a year ago that the women the brand serves love tailored dresses, but not stretchy ones; basic products, but not the average; and shapes, flashy enough to turn heads but wearable enough for every day. In the brand’s latest runway presentation at New York Fashion Week, designer Latoia Fitzgerald offers another heaping dose of sophisticated sensual chic, the designer tells ESSENCE she’s feeling more personal this time: a letter from love.
“Knowing that I’m showing my collection so close to home and being able to share this moment with my family makes me so emotional,” Fitzgerald tells ESSENCE ahead of Thursday night’s show, which effectively kicked off the slate of black designers. New York Fashion Week for the season. “This collection heavily references my childhood in Philadelphia and nostalgic New York fashion, so there’s a lot more of my identity woven together.”
On the runway, the models were mostly drenched in black, except for brief moments in orange, white and blue denim. However, an emphasis on shade in high-sheen fabrics (there were tube tops, miniskirts, matching ensembles, and trench coats, all in what appears to be vinyl or patent leather materials) catapults the designs into territory that is anything but calm. and minimum. In fact, elevating basics far beyond his norm is exactly what Fitzgerald does best, his knack for elongated sleeves, oversized collars and eccentric structural silhouettes coming together in unison on the runway. It’s an element that has quickly become a recognizable signature for Lionne, and Fitzgerald tells ESSENCE that this collection is a natural, growing progression from the previous one. Beyond aesthetic choices, the collection points to other ways the brand continues to grow, such as its first Italian-produced collection (Fitzgerald took fans behind the scenes on Instagram), with an emphasis on higher quality.
Celebrities like Draya Michelle and Cassie, known for drawing a star-studded crowd, sat front row at Lionne, wearing their designer favorites. And when it comes to endings, attendees received a personal love letter greater than even Fitzgerald could have imagined. First, a room-dominating deconstructed leather pant turned into a cropped dress. Then an unexpected marriage proposal closed the show and the designer left her own runway engaged.
See every aspect of the upcoming show.
Source: www.essence.com