Cheryl Shops

Where & When: Saturday, September 12th at 6 p.m., Casa Do Brasil
Runway Recap: If you ever wander around the East Village, you might encounter the odd holdout artist who's been living in the neighborhood since heroin and punk ruled the streets. I've always been fascinated by such residents; especially in gentrifying neighborhoods, they're like an endangered species. And Geova Rodrigues, who came to NYC in 1992 and opened his store in 2001, is one of them. More of an artist who works with garments, rather than a straight-up fashion designer, Geova's clothes are whimsical and artsy and playful, qualities that are often missing in much of what Seventh Avenue produces. Today's looks played with two main motifs: faces hand-painted on T-shirts and jersey dresses, and collage-like dresses pieced together from a mix of textures and fabrics. It was kind of like being invited to a kooky art party, with the entertainment being Brothers of Brazil, a two-man Brazilian rockabilly band. Like the clothes, the band was just bizarre enough to make perfect sense.
Standout Look: This dress was constructed of panels of trim--sequins, hook-and-eye closures, etc.--all stitched together into a madcap flapper dress.
Bonus Points: My front-row (!) seat featured a gift bag containing what can only be described as the best chocolate-covered honey cake I've ever had. It was from Bee Desserts, which, henceforth, is where I will be ordering my special treats.
Where to Buy: Geova's atelier at 208 Avenue B.