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Up and Coming Designers – Spring 2011

Thanks again Harper’s Bazaar for introducing me to some amazing new fashion designers and clothing lusts. I love feminine and edgy designers who create clothing that flatters a woman’s body with flirty shapes and bright colors. With spring collections hitting stores soon, warm weather clothing is already on my mind. These next three designers incorporate elegant draping, striking cutouts, and layered fabrics from organza to silk to leather. Look out for these three designers because they may just be the next big things. 
 
Emilio de la Morena
 
This season at London Fashion Week (his fourth season on the official schedule) de la Morena’s inspiration was the painter Lucio Fontana, a sixties star known for his slashed canvases. In de la Morena’s designs you can see slits, splashes of bright candied color, and punctures. This season de la Morena emphasizes angularity by draping square pieces of fabric off of skirts, giving his short cocktail dresses a geometric touch. Another primary motif seen throughout his dresses is the combination of leather hand-stamped in square and dot patterns set against a satin organza. His designs look like they came straight out of a twisted candy factory.

 
Dion Lee

Dion Lee is an Australian designer that I was extremely excited to discover. For Spring/Summer 2011, Lee presented his signature braiding, pleating, and architectural designs during Australian Fashion Week at the Sydney Opera House  (how perfect a venue?) After looking at the combination of pastel colors with feminine draping I am convinced his designs have come right out of a Monet. Throughout the collection a primary motif is cutouts, however they are done in such a feminine way, not at all harsh or angular. When I look at his designs I think sexy but refined. These dresses show skin but in a very elegant way. Did I mention the pumps are made from real homegrown crystal? As Rachel Zoe would say, “I just died!”

 
Felicity Brown
 
Words cannot describe how far my jaw dropped when I set eyes on London fashion designer Felicity Brown’s silk, ruffled couture dress collection. Her collection is inspired by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec’s paintings (obviously I love clothing inspired by art) where flamboyant and provocative women are painted wearing extravagant silk ruffles and showing off shamelessly. Her dresses are made from precious silks, where the pleats and ruffles are hand-dipped in bright dye. Each dress reminds me of an elegant flower, such as an iris or rose, that I’d almost be too afraid to touch. Wearing one of these dresses would be like wearing art.

What are you favorite up and coming designers? What trends are you excited about for spring? Let us know! 
 
Photo Credits & Sources:
PinkBeautyBliss
http://www.patternlondon.com/2010/08/felicitations-felicity-brown.html
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/S2011RTW-EDLMORENA
http://streetpeeper.com/fashion-news/rafw-2010-dion-lee
http://www.youngbritishdesigners.com/designers/newgen/felicity-brown/
http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-articles/new-fashion-designers-1110
 
 
 
 

Katie Manwaring (Elon '12) is a Strategic Communications major with minors in Leadership and Sociology. Katie is originally from Allentown, Pennsylvania but after college hopes to live outside New York City. While not working as Director of PR for Elon's Kernodle Center for Service Learning or tutoring local elementary students, Katie spends the majority of her time planning out the best way to accomplish her lifetime career goal, CEO of an international PR firm. Summer 2010 she hopes to intern at a PR firm in New York City and Spring 2011 she plans on studying abroad at the University of Sussex in Brighton, England. When not being completely obsessed with her future, Katie enjoys watching trashy reality TV (Real Housewives, The Hills, Keeping up with the Kardashians), eating out at least 3 nights per week, purchasing large quantities of makeup from Sephora, and staying in on Friday nights just to beat her boyfriend in a video game.