Cheryl Shops

Fashion Week technically starts on Thursday, but that doesn't stop a bunch of designers from showing a day early, on Wednesday. I consider it a warm-up day, so I tend to ease into the schedule with just a few shows.


Olcay Gulsen
First up: Olcay Gulsen, perhaps better known as the designer of Supertrash, in spite of its name, a respectable yet somewhat mass European fashion line. Her signature collection, however, is much more refined and—take note, locavores—produced entirely in New York. It's designed for "ambitious, elegant women who want quality and detail," she told me backstage before the show. Both were present in the collection, which included snake-textured leather, thick upholstery-like brocades, and flirty-fun crochet. What stood out the most, however, were the incredibly sexy backless silk dresses, which, If I had any say in things, would replace the bandage dress as clubwear. Well, maybe if you're an elite.  


DL1961
Denim companies always have a conundrum when presenting at Fashion Week: how to make jeans look exciting on the runway. DL1961 posed an interesting solution by starting its show with...interpretive dance*. But what's fashion without risk, right? As for the actual clothes, there was one great pair of skinny jeans after another, thankfully styled subtly with nice-looking button-down shirts and airy knit tops. It looks like coated jeans are sticking around for another season, as are jeggings (with the brand's signature XFIT 4-way stretch), but contrasting side-inset styles and glamorously sequined styles provided some newness.
DL1961 photos by Mina Kim

*Come on, like you didn't want to see the interpretive dance.