Fashion Week debuts celebrity designers


‘Make it work’ · Project Runway’s Michael Costello’s new sexy and sophisticated collections graced to the runway at Style Fashion Week. - Fehbe Meza| Daily Trojan

‘Make it work’ · Project Runway’s Michael Costello’s new sexy and sophisticated collections graced to the runway at Style Fashion Week. – Fehbe Meza| Daily Trojan

Los Angeles fashion insiders descended upon L.A. Live on March 10th, to watch Project Runway alumnus Michael Costello’s breathtaking fall/winter 2014 collections during Style Fashion Week.

Costello has been a regular at San Diego Fashion Week and has recently garnered even more attention for designing the sheer lace dress Beyoncé wore at this year’s GRAMMY Awards. He presented both his ready-to-wear and his couture lines at Style Fashion Week.

The Costello woman is not afraid of a little more fabric or more sequins or folds in unexpected places. She is the woman in the room who radiates confidence and does not let the dress wear her. She has everyone asking, “Who is she, and, more importantly, who is she wearing?”

Costello’s ready-to-wear collection was an impressive mixture of sexy and sophisticated. The gowns were sleek and body-conscious, coming in an array of velvet, leather, sequins and lace; there were no girly frills prancing down the runway. His collection began in shades of rich burgundy, then lightened into sparkling and sheer nudes before ending in a parade of black lace.

If the collection was any indication of what the trends will be come this fall, it is safe to say that many of last season’s trends, as well a few of those from spring, will flow into next season. Costello sent various models down the runway with strategically placed cutouts or sheer fabric, two trends that, instead of losing their popularity, have gained even more followers. Velvet, while popular last fall and in the late 1960s and early ’70s, was a material many believed would not last more than one season; Costello however, showed an elegant and modern take on velvet in black and burgundy. Coincidentally, Khloé Kardashian recently wore a floor-length burgundy velvet gown to an Oscar viewing party, reinforcing the popularity of the potential must-have color and fabric for fall 2014.

There are two things one must ask before deciding one’s take on a dress: How does the fit complement the woman’s shape, and how much does it shine? Costello’s gowns practically move with the body and hug every curve (or straight line) to give the woman a dramatic, yet feminine, look. Though many in the industry want to retire the overuse of sequins and glitter, Costello’s inclusion of sequin-covered gowns satiated a thirst within many fashion lovers for all things sparkley. Every season, critics say that black is the new black; Costello’s intuition of mixing fabrics, such as lace and sequins, is the modern way to wear black without looking outdated or, God forbid, boring.

Following Costello’s ready-to-wear line was his much-anticipated couture line. It was clear that Beyoncé’s famed lace dress, which now sits in the GRAMMY Museum along with the dress he designed for singer Tamar Braxton-Herbert, was following the trend of white lace dresses of Costello’s couture line. Usually, long-sleeved lace gowns in white or ivory run the risk of looking too conservative and matronly. Costello, however, kept things interesting and fresh with exaggerated bell sleeves and deep V-necks.

His couture line was an elegant transformation of whites and ivories to silver, and finally to red. Though a ready-to-wear collection is oftentimes much more conservative, a designer’s couture line is where his or her creativity and artistry are truly exposed. The couture dresses were works of art, boasting beautiful ruffles and intricate folding details. Again, there were many recurring trends: sheer fabric, lace, ruffles, high slits and peplum. Peplum has not died yet, nor does it show any indication of going away anytime soon, for better or worse.

Admittedly, the couture dresses are not for the faint of heart, nor for the introvert. They demand attention, but do so in the most elegant way possible. The fabric is unfussy and the shape is still relatively form-fitting, but neither aspect competes with the details on each dress. They allude to Costello’s Southern California background, where women want to look sophisticated and sexy but do not want to give the impression that they tried too hard or spent hours planning an outfit.

The Style Fashion Week audience gave Costello a standing ovation. His collections were not over the top, yet they were still impactful and memorable. Every year, Style Fashion Week continues to grow in notoriety as it competes to reach the level of attention New York and London Fashion Weeks have. If it continues to showcase talent such as Costello’s, the show’s organizers should have no problem reaching their goal.