New York Fashion Week Spring ’10. Trias’s Near Miss

Summary: It's no secret that I appreciate artsy fashion shows and designers who border on wacky, so I really wanted to like Joaquin Trias's sculpturally-focused clothing. Unfortunately, the more out-of-the-box he got, the less interested I was. Upside-down skirts looked like they belonged in a comedic vignette, one where a naked interloper is forced to wrap himself in giant paper towel tube and scuttle out the back door. And two dresses reminded me of lobsters or some other such segmented crustacean.

There were, however, highlights: two sculpted but simple dresses were elegant, and a silk faille jacket with wrapped cuffs had an edge to it… like an Upper East Side pirate (which looks better than it sounds). In spite of the near miss, I like Trias's innovation and look forward to seeing his fall collection.

Color Palette: Stone grey, grass green, sulphur yellow, mustard yellow, blue ocean, graphite black

Fabrics & Textures: Silk faille, high-tech fabric, waxed silk, organza, leather

Key Looks: Sulphur yellow silk faille coat dress; Sulphur yellow silk faille long sleeved dress; Grass green waxed silk blouse

—Becky Ellis
Photos: WWD