First, the collection was a tribute to Yves Saint-Laurent. Granted, the late designer was an inspiration to most people in fashion so I won't assume this was picked for me. Zang Toi referenced the designer in several ways. First, the Mondrian-inspired prints were a motif in the flowing silks of the show. Some of Saint-Laurent's most iconic looks were also inspired by Mondrian. Second, the intense blue color is reminiscent of the hues found in the Jardin Majorelle, the gardens in Morocco founded by the designer. The hipster scarves worn by the models are also taking inspiration from the Bedouin women who live in Morocco.
Why else did this collection seem personal to me? I love butterflies. I wore tons of them on my head and wore the wings for the NYC Easter Parade. Now Toi has them fluttering all over the purple (my favorite color) and pink gowns in showstopper section of the show.
The soundtrack? It's like he stole my iPod. Grace Jones' Libertango played over the runway with the models sauntering out like the queens they are. One of his consistent star models, Georgie Badiel, was recently married and had her new husband sitting in the audience. Zang Toi himself walked her down the aisle during the wedding.
The reason so many photographers are so loyal to shooting this show when there are many other shows competing in the same time slot is how thoughtful Toi is to us. He collaborates with photographers on lighting and model staging rather than dictating the conditions like many other producers do, leaving photographers to scramble and hope for the best. He sent out care packages to the photographers, with a (much needed) snack and water, with the bonus of his gorgeous Papyrus couture greeting cards.
Thank you Zang Toi, for gifting us another wonderful show for Spring 2019. It was extra special as you clearly custom designed the collection around me (ha!). Kidding aside, butterflies, blue gardens and Yves Saint-Laurent, how could you go wrong?
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| all photos by Mariana Leung |
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