Cheryl Shops

Where & When: Saturday, February 13 at 8:30 p.m., Bryant Park Tent
Presentation Recap: Featuring lines by South Africa's Black Coffee (above), Tanzania's Loin Cloth & Ashes (middle), and Nigeria's Deola Sagoe (bottom of post). Black Coffee's fall line wrapped its models in cushion and thick ruffles. I'm not personally a fan of clothes that severely bulk up the female form, but it looked artful on the runway despite this. Loin Cloth & Ashes also featured a lot of ruffles and volume, but the formlessness of some pieces was offset by stunning, large blue medallions.
Deola Sagoe was the last and most applauded of the three, with good reason. Deola's collection showed off a dazzling array of jewel tones and metallics in varying textures, and bold (but wearable) experimentation.
Standout Look: I was reminded of Ziggy Stardust when one of Deola's numbers came out on the runway. Broad structured shoulders framed an alienesque rocker outfit (second below, second from left).
Bonus Points: Creepy-chic snail shell hairdos on the Black Coffee models. Also the fact that Deola herself came out decked out in one of her sexy creations (far bottom).