Baltimore Struts Its Stuff
Issue date: 9/20/07
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The last to be exhibited was April Camlin's creations for "Happy Accident." Camlin was one of the masterminds behind fashion week and it was only appropriate for her designs to run as the grand finale.
The first look was a black gown with a pleated leather train. The grand ribbons that tied the back together and the tiny brooch that opposed it in the front gave the gown a grandiose, cathedral-like look. Indeed, Camlin's inspirations were gothic architecture and baroque details which she tried to effect through her clothing, in her own words, as "dark and mysterious."
With its dark colors, heavy fabrics, and Nordic feel, her show beautifully embodied her gothic intentions in a way that was both high fashion and thought-provoking (imagine Alexander McQueen lost in Siberia and forced to design his way out). The best example of her creative genius was a black velvet cocktail dress capped with a fur cape and hood, creating a unique, boxy silhouette. Some looks were unabashedly Flintstone-esque, primeval as it were, garnished with fur and jewelry made of chunky beads and animal bones. At times the drapery was excessive, a veritable parade of curtains. The staple of the collection (aside from the first gown) was the floor-length cotton piece held together with antique pins and fitted with a cashmere-like sweater on top of it. Camlin's collection, as a whole, was beautifully pieced together.
Baltimore Fashion Week was less formal than its predecessors in New York, London and Milan but no less committed to the industry. If you didn't make it out this year, you should clear your schedule now for 2008.
The first look was a black gown with a pleated leather train. The grand ribbons that tied the back together and the tiny brooch that opposed it in the front gave the gown a grandiose, cathedral-like look. Indeed, Camlin's inspirations were gothic architecture and baroque details which she tried to effect through her clothing, in her own words, as "dark and mysterious."
With its dark colors, heavy fabrics, and Nordic feel, her show beautifully embodied her gothic intentions in a way that was both high fashion and thought-provoking (imagine Alexander McQueen lost in Siberia and forced to design his way out). The best example of her creative genius was a black velvet cocktail dress capped with a fur cape and hood, creating a unique, boxy silhouette. Some looks were unabashedly Flintstone-esque, primeval as it were, garnished with fur and jewelry made of chunky beads and animal bones. At times the drapery was excessive, a veritable parade of curtains. The staple of the collection (aside from the first gown) was the floor-length cotton piece held together with antique pins and fitted with a cashmere-like sweater on top of it. Camlin's collection, as a whole, was beautifully pieced together.
Baltimore Fashion Week was less formal than its predecessors in New York, London and Milan but no less committed to the industry. If you didn't make it out this year, you should clear your schedule now for 2008.
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