Cheryl Shops

Where & When: Friday, September 10 at noon, the Studio, Lincoln Center
Runway Recap: I attended a blogger conference on Thursday, and one of the keywords was "niche," as in carve out a market for yourself, and specialize in it. Michael Angel is definitely what I'd call a niche designer; he specializes in truly unique, graphic prints, and having attended his shows for the last few seasons, it's been interesting to see how he expands on that specialty. For spring, his prints took on a dreamy watercolor quality in beautiful shades of purple and magenta, and he worked in boxy yet opaque layers of latex to play with transparency. I think designers are so much more interesting and successful when they set parameters for themselves, then explore the reaches of those limits; this is exactly what Michael Angel does. He does take risks--I have a feeling the dickeys he showed are not going to take off, and exposed midriffs are not for everyone--but from those risks comes truly innovative, forward-thinking design.
Standout Look: While I found the latex pieces an interesting contrast to the prints, especially in that they let a muted version of the print peek through, I found the most wearable pieces to be the simple printed separates. Angel does deserve praise for the architectural yet draped look of his skirts, and--I am a stickler for this--everything was impeccably fitted.
Bonus Points: There's a newfangled technology at the tents which allows you to scan your press pass and get all your seating assignments for the day. I had no idea I was even invited to this show, but I was pleasantly surprised to be. Ah, technology.
Where to Buy: Shop online here.