Cheryl Shops

Fall 2007: Pegah Anvarian
I like to make fun of Los Angeles designers for not being capable of creating anything more complex than jeans and T-shirts. So I approached L.A. designer Pegah Anvarian's first New York show with trepidation. And looking through the OCD, highly detailed run sheet (even describing all the accessories!), with its 42 looks, I thought, Oh god, how many tees can one designer create? However, as soon as the lights went down and the music started ("Dazzle" by Siouxie and the Banshees), I bit my tongue. Anvarian's jersey pieces were definitely the glue that held the show together, but she expanded her range to include washed leather and textured wool. The overall look was very dark and city-friendly--she was obviously a year late to fashion's current Goth party, but since she's from L.A., I'm willing to overlook it.

Stressing the importance of layering, nearly every piece in the collection featured a sheer jersey turtleneck underneath, which I'm all for, although I wonder if Anvarian thought this was a very New York thing to do. Anyway, I love the bubble dress, and there's no question that her line is very wearable.


Here's another cute dress, this one without layers. Note the red clutch--the accessories and styling in this show were particularly great.


Here's another Alaia-inspired dress. Alaia is a genius, obviously, but his pieces have an uncanny ability to flatter a wide range of body types. When younger designers attempt these kinds of dresses, I worry.


There were a lot of great cropped leather jackets, such as this one. Again, maybe not the most practical thing, but they certainly look hot.


Now this is a coat for the city girl--chic and a little bit dramatic. I was pretty impressed with it. Extra-long gloves are a necessity, however.


But what Anvarian does best are simple yet unique knit pieces, like this beautiful spiderweb tunic. There were many highly wearable looks like this in the collection, and I found them innovative and interesting.


So, from the black turtlenecks and tights to the Goth music, I think Pegah Anvarian has proved that she can take on the East Coast. And she gets bonus points in my book for an excellent goody bag--Hue tights, a free yoga class at Exhale, and a free bikini wax at Completely Bare. Hmm, well, you can take the girl out of the West Coast, but...