New York Fashion Week Fall ’10. Trias Hits Its Stride

Summary: When I watched Joaquin Trias's show last season, I saw promise: Although there seemed to be an unbridled zealousness about playing with technology and construction techniques, I knew he was a designer with vision. I was excited to see that I was right, and for fall of 2010, the designer—and the line—is coming into his own. 

For fall '10, Trias continued to play with technological fabrics and architectural structure in a show themed "Vertical Strength." It was hypermodernism on display, and I got the sense that a series of 1940s housewives had time-traveled to the year 3015. Hemlines on the housewife-esque dresses were modest, and high-waisted, paperbag trousers were evocative of Katharine Hepburn. At the same time, clothing was stark and unadorned, and the angularity had a futuristic quality about it.

Coats in the latter part of the show bore too close a resemblance to graduation gowns for my taste, but overall, the collection showed strong direction and creativity, a big win for a young designer who is hitting his stride.

Color Palette: Ocre, brown, green, grey, red titanium, black, lichen, deep blue, lilac

Fabrics & Textures: Wool, leather, silk-faille, hi-tech Lycra, silk-mikado,  hand-knit tights

Key Looks: Double line, sleeveless, Deep Blue silk-mikado dress, grey hand-knitted ombre tights, green leather belt, grey leather stiletto sandal; Long sleeve New Marengo gomatto top, straight double pleated Red Titanium jacket, gathered at high waist Deep Blue mikado silk trouser, grey hand-knitted ombre tights, green leather belt, grey leather stiletto sandal

—Becky Ellis