After the short but sweet taste from Jen Awad on Saturday at the Designer Launch Pad runway. We were all dying to see the full collection at Concept on Tuesday.
Jen Awad opened Tuesdays schedule of shows with her signature rockstar aesthetic, a collection that I can only describe as Forties Starlet meets Futuristic Rockstar. A rich array of crisp colours, bright teal, fuschia pinks and cherry reds mixed with black and white and the shiniest gold I've seen in awhile! (seriously R2D2 gone chic!)
The collection was very eclectic, but what do you expect when you're viewing a collection designed by a musician? And that's the defining thread that runs through her line: these are clothes for a rockstar.
The pearl detailing was fabulous, fringing on dresses, lines of pearls creating stripes and a flippin fantastic blazer with pearl covered lapels. The dress pictured above (perfectly modeled by the lovely Gretchen of Grace Model Management who is also the face of the new Stylesmith line!) would make an amazing Vegas wedding dress, it swayed down the aisle, sorry, runway perfectly.
Again we saw some beautiful capes, both in this very rich teal colour. I wasn't a fan however, and this applies to other garments in the collection also, of the ostentatious branding, a huge 'JA' in gold emblazoned one side of the cape, and was also featured on gloves and blouses (though in black and small on the cream blouse was not so much of an issue for me)
The capes were beautiful and screamed "I'm a Jen Awad design" without flagrantly pointing it out. It was that 'out there' that I actually wonder if this was a gimmick for the show itself and won't go into production like this. I don't want to focus on the negative, I loved the cut and colour of the capes and the dramatic length was amazing.
But back to waxing lyrical! I got to see my sweetheart dress again…I say 'my' because I really think this dress should be mine, the cut, the back, the full skirt…even the buttons, this dress was designed with me in mind…however since seeing the full collection…it may have a contender for my love. This dress pictured below, again in the ever flattering sweetheart neckline, was a standout. The rich navy blue is complete divine and the draped skirt, unusual and very very beautiful. So I'll just take both then… there's definitely room in my heart for both, if not my wardrobe.
Overall I was more than impressed by Jen Awad, it's hard to believe that at 22 this is her third collection, and at the same time it's hard to believe this is only her third collection! I expect great things in the future from this designer rockstar…on the stage and the runway.