skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Calla, the fashion label created by designer Calla Haynes was full of mesmerising prints and colour when it made its splash on to the New York fashion scene, showcasing the Fall 2012 collection on February 10th. The whole collection was a feast for the eyes which featured digital prints of magnified and blown-up images marble in pink and purple strewn across classically designed pieces with body-conscious silhouettes. It's hard to believe that the Fall 2012 collection is the second of Calla considering there is maturity about the way the collection was presented and also a strong presence for fashion identity and referring back to the inspiration of the collection. The Fall 2012 collection from Calla takes inspiration from an imaginary woman who works as an interior designer which led to the key prints of the collection originating from wood grain and granite digitally altered and magnified which results in fantastically imaginative prints. As of late I have been utterly obsessed with digital prints and wonderful eccentric colours so I was immediately drawn to the towards the Calla collection like a bookworm to an ancient library.
Calla seems to have refined her tailoring techniques and for the Fall collection created a dense tweed with French house Malhia Kent which has given rise to some stunning patterned coats and matching bottoms. It's the ability to create warm and comfortable clothing in preparation for chillier weather without having compromised the core principles and aesthetic designs of the collection that has me most impressed. Some Autumn/ Winter collections focus on the design of their pieces and fail to deliver something that is pleasing to look at, but the Calla collection is absolutely brimming with eye-popping prints that will warm up even the most critical hearts of fashion bloggers.
Always the sucker for amazing and eccentric printed pants and matching jackets, it's ensembles like this that make me passionate to write about and shamelessly promote up and coming fashion labels. The flecks of black on a white background remind me so much of a finely sprinkled coat of a harlequin Great Dane and it's this process of digitally printing patterns on to clothes that makes me so thankful to be young in the twenty-first century. It gives me great pleasure and joy in watching all these developments with the printing and materials in the fashion world. The striking black and white printed coats and their matching pants and shorts are cleverly contrasted with different shades of blue from the collar and cuffs of the blouse underneath as well as the sweet rounded toe ballet shoes of the Calla collection. I suppose it's that sweetness that earned this young brand the title of "the Lindsey Wixson of up-and-coming designer brands: Cute as a button and sweet as pie, but check out that body."
Geometric patterns and clever chic designs have never been combined with as much artistic flair as they have for this Calla collection. This coat is something special when worn with the coloured and marble patterned dress in purple and the look of thick black lines is only heightened by the bangs of the model- something I hope was a conscious decision in order to bring out the best of this coat. The print is something more rare and eccentric than houndstooth but still uses the classic contrast of white and black, this clever coat in dense tweed is just another wardrobe staple you'll be clamouring to own in Winter and something that may even become your new best friend to make a fashionable statement.
Boldly structured pieces are largely reserved for Haute Couture fashion shows, so it's only natural that Ready-to-Wear combines the best of relaxed and casual design but with spectacular patterns and colours. Take this relaxed button shirt dress with gathered waist as a classic example of the playful nature of contemporary designers taking advantage of photographic prints. The dress shown above is a predominant peach colour, originally taken from digitally altered granite with flecks of blue strewn across it but the theatrical nature of the dress is really brought out with a good pair of matching tights. Such a small aspect of the presentation for this entire collection is the hosiery worn with each dress and the different moods they create from changing the overall look of the dress. I have a feeling that eclectic fashion bloggers that love to layer up in an eccentric fashion will adore the Calla 2012 Fall collection.
Classic silhouette design as well as a imaginative print all of its own making; it's dresses like this that warm my heart and make me glad the fashion industry is as competitive as it is diverse. I'm most comfortable in dresses of this structure with a relaxed sleeves and a cinched waist; they can be easily accommodate an evening coat and look amazing when dressed up with suitable evening accessories. I haven't yet tried to track down any prices for the dresses but I already know I won't be in the market for an evening dress for a while, not while there's a travel opportunity on the horizon. It's a shame really, there's many promising designs and wild dresses I would love to metaphorically sink my teeth into.
As more and more designers crop up on the New York fashion scene it's no wonder some of the frock designs are evolving and becoming more edgy. I have high praise for the sharp lines of this dress as well as the two speckled patterns used; the bodice and unusual tulip skirt have a sweeter and more light-hearted pink and blue tinge amongst the effect of tie-dye black bursts but the grey sleeves and high neck firmly emphasise this dress is a part of an Autumn/ Winter collection. The dress above has the vague structure of a ballerina's dress but also elements of a dark and chequered past as well as mystery evoked by the dishevelled look of the model. Perhaps it's a little too daring for someone as meek as myself to wear but I must admit that I do like the theatrics of the parted tulip skirt, the black insert in between as well as the two different lengths of hemline for this darling dress.
As of late I have been trawling through the department store racks for good duffel coats and coats for the Winter season but there hasn't been anything as wonderfully stylish as this Calla coat in dark blue. The different shades created by the speckled effect is something that I automatically respond to since that's partly why I want to colour a part of my hair a wild colour- the shadow and light bouncing off it makes it interesting. Fortunately this lovely coat already includes many different shades in the blue spectrum for someone to admire and when worn with simple grey tights I think the overall effect is quite powerful. Maybe since I'm in the market to add a little more blue to my wardrobe I should be scanning Net-a-Porter for any interesting developments...
