Phreshly Squeezed

Models exiting the wrong way and having them correct themselves midway was one of the many aspects of the show that did not help Zang Toi’s “House of Toi” Fall/Winter collection. Held at TOUCH, the venue could easily be said to have been to small. With a balcony above to allow guests to watch show with an overhead view, some found it charming, while others, especially those trying to catch a glimpse from behind the glass pane, found it to be disadvantageous for observing the new line.

But with that said, there was not much to miss in the show that featured Prince’s song “Purple Rain.” With the dominant hues of black and purple, Toi presented professional daywear, as well as evening. His interpretation for professional wear came from the inspiration of androgyny and menswear; however, they lacked a certain “oomph” that could classify each look as his own. The glimmer and sparkle that we have seen on many designs of other lines, which make them stand out, add to the tackiness of some of Toi’s pieces, especially the dresses that feature a gradient from black to purple to black.

Even the fur pieces had failed to leave an impression of luxury on me. One of the few pieces that tried to redeem the line was his black dress that had an elegant silhouette and crystals around the waist. Other evening wear pieces included one that was made from velvet and heavily adorned in crystals, and could be characterized as being overall form fitting but flaring out at the bottom.

Too long a show, I wasn’t sure if people were clapping in admiration or in hopes that the dress that walked the space was in fact the last one. In fact, I’m wondering if I’m one of the few that disliked the line, as everyone gave Toi a standing ovation.

Starting piece of Zang Toi's Fall/Winter collection

There is some appeal, but there is also a lot of excess

Of all the pantsuits, this is probably the only one that has some character

We go from excessive to way too plain

One of the redeeming pieces in the Fall/Winter collection

Headshot courtesy of NYMag.com

Related posts:

1. Newcomer Prabal Gurung’s Fall/Winter 2010-11 Collection is a Hit at Bryant Park
2. Space Out into Jen Kao’s Fall/Winter 2010 Collection
3. Jeremy Scott Glimmers with Fall/Winter 2010 Collection