ROKSOLANA BOGUTSKA FINDS INSPIRATION IN TAMARA LEMPICKA - FW 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - With her famed images of Tamara Lempicka as the muse for her work, Ukrainian star Roksolana Bogutska presented a dazzling collection of printed tops, long dresses and other silhouettes for her new Fall Winter 2010 collection.

In tune with the trends that have been firmly established, Roksolana has paid close attention to draping and to structure of her shoulder work. However away from the major trends, she has done impressive work with compressed fabrics in the manner as the” grand couturier Franck Sorbier. She has mixed her looks with corset like legging that are to die for as well as voluminous director’s pants. The pants have large pockets and soft draping on the hips for a very feminine touch.

Of all the designer’s showing in this part of Europe, Roksolana Bugutska is one of the few who truly grasps what it is to be contemporary, bold, audacious and inventive.

In a new twist on accessories, Roksolana has created double bag. These handbags and tote bags are large, but they are put together and shown as a single piece. The heels are high in her pumps and the gloves in leather are long.

The backs of her dresses are embellished with beautiful crystal and jet beaded embroideries. Leave it to Roksolana to create a beautiful jumpsuit perfect for dinner, cocktails and the club. The trousers and the waist are generously embellished with crystals stones. Without a doubt, black is the color of the day for the Ukrainian. The heels reach lengths of 5+ inches and are beyond bold.

Black for a short time sheds its dominance to a deep forest green silk. Pleated, it is followed up by ensembles of dresses in black with a matching coat and gloves and in a very 1950’s spirit. The shoulders are bare. We see beautiful embroideries on the entire ensemble. Finally we see the famed printed dresses with the effigy of Roksolana’s famed heroine, Tamara Lempicka. Long short or with capes, the prints are captivating as they put the heroine on display for the world to see. 

Roksolana’s looks in red fox are simply superb. Worn with her leggings-like-corset-style stirrups, they add that special touch of magic the collection that is needed in order to create that “I don’t give a damn about PETA” nuance!

SLAVA ZAITSEV SHOWS STAR POWER IN LVIV - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones
 

Lviv, Ukraine - Russian designer Slava Zaitsev demonstrated in Lviv the reason for which he is so highly regarded as a top designer in his native Russia. He has brought with him an onslaught of color and imagination for both his women and men’s collection. 

Though the men’s collection is colorful and brilliant at times, it lacks finesse in terms of cuts. The fabrics are beautiful such as seen in his redingote. However, the women’s pieces show his true talent as a designer of grand imagination. He knows how to create the “sensation” as the French would say! His cocktail dresses are stunning with just the right structural movement on the hip?. He adds color to collection in order to show how things are to be done.

Now as he is Russian, no collection would be complete without hats. Some of the hats remind Westerners of what we would have seen back in the 1980’s with the television series such as Dallas and particularly Dynasty. Though creative, they have no place in Western European fashions or in the USA. However, one must not ignore the fact that they are something to behold. The rest of the collection with it corseted backs, ribbons, bows, and jeweled fabrics are natural attention grabbers.

KSENIA SERBIN PUTS TALENT & TECHNIQUE ON DISPLAY - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - Ksenia Serbin gave use a wonderful surprise as she began the presentation of her new collection for Fall Winter 2010. Made hip by the sounds of a string orchestra playing “Teen Spirit” by Nirvana, the collection is a nothing less than a display of the designer’s creative talent and skills as a technician. 

Serbin has taken her fabrics and reworked them into roses integrated into the hips or bust of her cocktail dresses. She has manage to bring all of this together in an superb manner the softness of silk, chiffon in a white cocktail dress superbly accessorized with a splendid leather jacket with slim sleeves, subtle studs and amazing rose integrated shoulders.

This collection must be considered as one of the best of the all international fashion weeks.

LILYA LITKOVSKAYA: Fit for the Runways of Paris - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - In a very conceptual presentation of her new collection for Fall Winter 2010, Ukrainian designer Lilya Litkovsaya presented what must be surely considered some amazing work fit for the runways of Paris and other major fashion capitals. In it, we find over-sized jackets with supersized lapels, draped short sleeves, long simple dresses and graphic prints. The faces of the models are completely covered in order to create since of united and to draw attention only to the silhouettes. 

The collection does not rely on so much on layering like most of the other collections this season. Nor does it follow the established trends of 3/4length pants and trousers, or balloon sleeves. Rather it used corset like sleeves to make a true statement.

The men’s silhouettes are layered and composed. We find sort cut jumpsuits with long zippers paired with silvery jackets in queue de pie form.

OLYA ROMANOVA: Exciting & Dramatic Collection for Fall/Winter 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - Olya Romanova presented a new and exciting collection for Fall Winter 2010. Inspired by the deck of playing cards, the silhouettes are primarily short dresses in cotton, velvet, pied de poule checks, etc. The colors are black, white and forest green which are highlighted at times with a hint of red. 

The silhouettes have dramatic boleros and short cropped jackets all with extravagant sleeves with good detailing. The looks are accessorized with belts, earrings, corsets, neck broaches (all in the form of playing cards). One short black cocktail dress has a white back with the black queen of spades as it motif. This is perhaps the one collection that shows maturity and the good taste as it shows women in a female, feminine and feline manner without having to be too sexually overt. And when some of the dresses are cut short such as the white super mini cocktail dress with black queen of spades card covering the front, it has an overlay in black tulle and lace with a huge spade at the end of the back of the dress nearly creating a train.

MARYANNA GROMYSH CELEBRATES MOTHERS IN NEW COLLECTION - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - Ukrainian designer Maryana Gromysh presented a charming collection for Fall Winter 2010, which celebrates motherhood and how even pregnant women may be stylish while trying to remain comfortable. She began the collection on a back ground of white for her silhouettes for both men and women. Prints are included which recall of a nice brisk walk on winter’s day. 

The collection dramatically shifts from white as the defining color with black as highlight to the very opposite. We find roomy winter ski wear for couples as well. Then as the collection moves forward, it becomes more and more design oriented and trendy. The details are more apparent in each piece.

Even the stuffed coats for men have been embellished with a very small and thin belt. The same fabric is used to create a beautiful short cropped winter coat for women. The inside of the jacket has a small handbag shaped pocket inside. As for the trousers, this is where the trends are most evident to see. From waist to knees, they are very voluminous as if appearing from the court of King Philippe I of Spain. Then suddenly from the knees downwards, they become dramatically slim.

OLESYA TELIZHENKO: Musical & Colorful Trends - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - For Fall Winter 2010 Olseya Telzhenko takes us on an adventure to oriental sounds. She has used extremely organic fabrics such s as wool, cotton and cashmeres to create her collections for both men and women this season. 

The men’s collection sees over coats and parkas that have been embellished with colorful hand stitching and thread embroideries. The lapels are supersized on some jackets such as the hooded parkas. They appear in shorts sets and overalls, which will always have a place in street wear no matter the season. Plaids make their return in a leisure suit for the weekend. The ankles of the trousers are banded, and it is worn with a very colorful canary yellow T-shirt.

As for the women’s wear, we find chocolate as the back drop color. We see lots of prints and plaids meshed together into a cohesive waltz in which brown has the predetermined role of dominance. Some silhouettes are very long as others are shorts, but still with the same colors in fact.

ALEKSANDR VASILIEV CREATES FOR COSMOPOLITAN TASTES - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - For Fall Winter 2010 Alexander Vasiliev brought an interesting collection to the runways of Lviv. It includes shining leather creations for men and women with denim jeans with studs. The looks are cool and fun to see. Not only are they cosmopolitan, but also wearable. The men’s pieces also have an urban look to them. The use of red, brown, black and whites in the same collection makes a bold statement. The long leather patchwork coats have in printed silk linings. On some of the long coats in leather coats, expect to find python trimmings and long shining zippers as embellishments. His collection for men is entirely fashion forward. 

Some of the leather bombers in black and red have a slight military touch to them which reminds us of the big trend for fall winter. That is to say an early 1980S look that takes us back to the late Michael Jackson’s “Beat it” and Thriller days.

As for the women’s wear, it is decidedly less impressive as the men’s wear. Though very different, it just has too much of the energy of collections that we would expect from the Ed Hardy or Christian Audigier lines.

IVANA YUKHYMCHUK CREATES FOR YOUTHFUL CLIENTELE WITH TASTE - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - This collection sees handmade pieces in wool felt. The felts are embellished by white snowflake like cotton embroideries. The silhouettes are short and do much to place emphasis on the shoulder structure as well as on the bust, the waist and the legs. The colors range from chocolate and grey to white and soft pink blush. 

The cut shows that the collection is obviously for a youthful clientele with an appreciation for details. These details are again found in the embroidery work. Overall the collection is a display of the designer’s eye for cohesion and softness.

JUGEN FASHION: In Search of D.N.A. - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - In the Fall Winter 2010/2011 collection of the Ukrainian designer Jugen, we see an interesting mix of styles for the collection. Its unity comes in the makeup the strength of the fabrics. The cuts are far beyond what even the most outrageous designers would consider “other there”. His look in black sequins and in and black tiger stripes shows the designer’s true potential. However, it is unfortunate that he worked on so many different looks. Without a “ fil conducteur” or undisputable defining line, it is next to impossible to know what the DNA of the collection is or even that of the house. 

The red section had nothing to do with the black or with the exquisite black look that is cut above the knees and finished in black and white zebra skin. The transition between the blacks and reds seems difficult at best. Nonetheless, the dresses and individual pieces look great on the models, and who all seemed to really enjoy being dressed b y the Jugen.

KATARZINYNA BIES DOES POST-MODERN ROCK - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - In a very modern and musically inspired collection for Fall Winter 2010, Ukrainian designer Katerina Bies sent forth masked and semi-masked women to the runway in layered and draped silhouettes. The looks are exciting and invokes a post-modern rock feel on the eyes when observes in space and in time. 

Draping is the key to this collection. Though she pairs leggings with pewter embellishments, hooded jackets with nubuck suede tops, the collection is axed in this draping which is created in chiffons and tulles. Déjà-vu is something that obviously does not affect the impression of many onlookers in the Ukraine.

Later the collection takes on a more oriental look in terms of colors and shapes. The hoodies have a “burka” (integral Islamic voile) look. The embroideries as well as the knots with sparkling affect create movement and excitement on the silhouettes.

NATALIA FILATOVA SIGNES PLEASINGLY PERKY COLLECTION - Fall 2010

Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine - Natalia Filatova used her creative wit to create a collection defined by extremely shorts dresses. Most are paired with micro small tight belts or shorts and are completed with accessories such as long boots that may nearly be considered as cuissard boots. The fabrics, whether woven or in smooth silk have nice graphic prints which shows the importance of the attention to harmony between the cut, fabrics and final shape of the look. 

This is a small, yet pleasingly perky collection.

SYUZANNA SLATION PLACES ATTENTION ON STRUCTURE - Fall 2010

By Marcellous L. Jones

Lviv, Ukraine – Syuzanna Slation focused their creative talents on work that is used to highlight the shoulders and legs. First, the shoulders are voluminous and oversized. Naturally great attention is placed on structure as called upon in order to pull off some of the gravity defying pieces. Draping and inverted large pleats are used to create daring looks. 

The designer has created very short mini-skirts with folds on the side, while the pen tulip pants in lilac is worn with a leather jacket embellished with a rose formation shoulders.

Leather is used as one of the principal fabrics in the collection which is a strong one anyone’s standards. One of the first dresses in the collection with structured shoulders, banded collar and black chiffon ties has a long zipper in the back that finishes just below the knees. This is a great piece with its horizontal draping on both sides.

The designer ends the show with her black widow’s wedding gown. In sheath formation, the bust has angular points. The hips are wrapped with a ribbon. From the knees we see peaks of black tulle which brings movement to the collection.