#roksolanabaran

[oneporktaco-blog]

lviv fashion week: under queen

(images via lfw)

as you're probably aware by now if this is beyond your first partaking with me in lviv fashion week, the event sometimes attracts something of a scattering of designers, so i'm always happy to see one return--particularly if it was one that impressed me in the past, as did designer roksolana baran (Роксолана Баран) and her lovely house of under queen with their s/s 2012 range last season.  thus, for the a/w 2012 season, ms. baran's use of colour and touches of bohemian-isms were still quite high, though things were somewhat thicker and modified for the coming cold, of course. 

this time around, as we might thank our old friend, the website lviv beauty for informing us, under queen's collection was called 'golden idols' and is (trans.) "based on the culture of the psychedelic 60's and 70's, which is characterized by the progressive development of rock music and a wide distribution of psychoactive drugs. The collection combines luxury items on the background of indifferent street style."  in other words, what the kids (and pretend-kids) are still wearing these days when they hit up the music festivals. 

as for the collection's colour palette, as the russian site ria moda reflected, we saw quite (trans.) "a complex combination of deep contrasting colors, blue and mustard, emerald, and terra cotta, red and black, gray and white as a neutral colour." and, continued on the ukrainian website clutch, range materials included chiffon, satin, fur, suede, velour, imitation leather, silk, rayon, and velvet and trimmed with (trans.) "metal fittings, beads and Swarovski stones," while additional embellishments like embroidery, pleating, and fringing helped to further fancify the looks. 

as for the cuts themselves, lviv beauty did note there was a marked emphasis on the natural waistline, but i'd also like to point out that thanks to seaming, piping, and other details, there was a good amount of attention drawn to the bust, which was usually further carved-out and often the (frequently maxi-cut) dresses had dipping necklines to give some additional shape.  it was particularly clever, given that with all the layers and rather flowing cast to the pieces, the designer was trying to help give her girls some figure underneath it all.  she's clever, and as ever, i'll certainly be hoping to see more from under queen in the coming seasons. 

[oneporktaco-blog]

lviv fashion week: under queen

(images via lfw)

like--or so it seems--many of the others we've been seeing this turn on the lviv fashion week catwalk, the rather new label under queen designed by roksolana baran (uk: Роксолана Баран) presented at s/s 2012 range that is technically a debut of sorts.  according to ria moda, ms. baran is an interior and graphic designer by trade, though she turned to fashion in 2010, first exhibiting her wares in one of the smaller group shows in lviv sometime that year.  unfortunately, like so many of the other new kids, there simply isn't much information out there, which is rather disappointing given the utter upset we're seeing with her utterly new aesthetic (at least in comparison to the other designs at lfw). 

anyway, ria moda goes on to quote the designer's press release for the range, explaining that, titled 'shincha,' it was inspired by (trans.) "the culture of the ancient tribes of Latin America...Using a combination of colors, shapes, stylish jewelry, materials and textures, that capture the spirit of these mystical and mysterious peoples.  The designer wanted to show the vivid and dynamic images of the psychological and spiritual world of the tribes, which consisted of ritual ceremonies, hallucinations, and mirages." according to the site lviv beauty, materials included leather, suede, silk, chiffon, satin, and velvet, with embellishments of mesh, fringe, beading, and metallic accents in a palette of white, indigo, tomato red, ultramarine, sky blue, tan, taupe, goldfish orange, and deep eggplant. 

a stained glass-like motif that rather reminded me of one from rue du mail's a/w 2011 show cropped up now and again (as at bottom; interestingly enough, the palette rather reminded me of that collection, as well), and colour-blocking, a tie dye-like motif, and plenty of tribal circles and stripes brought interest to the breezy pieces.  dresses were strong among the range, with sleeveless billowing varieties coming in as the top choice, while peasant-y off-the-shoulder selections, and little layerables (cardigans, shrunken jackets, an odd top, skirt, and pair of shorts) were also thrown into the mix.  as i've critiqued many a time before, the biggest problem wasn't so much with the designs as what was missing: more variety.  sure, each of the individual exits was pretty, but weren't there a few too many floor-sweeping gowns in such a short presentation?

but i liked the designer's decision to let things out in a bright burst, which extended to the makeup and lavish headpieces the models sported.  true, the shoes didn't really make it (but under queen surely doesn't boast a chanel budget), but any kind of thorough experimentation with another culture is welcome to me, especially in those cities we tend to see a lot of re-hashing of the designers' own (and not that there's anything wrong with that, either, except that seeing it in so many shows can become a bit tedious).  mostly, though, ms. baran simply offered pretty summery frocks with enough taste and coverage that they might be trotted out in a few places more diverse than a nightclub.  and it was a good effort for a relatively new designer, so i wouldn't want to be too harsh in my encouraging her to branch out with the silhouettes.  but if she really wants to succeed, that's what she'll need to do.  drama and makeup are quite good, but after all, those who do it best also know how to tailor a pair of trousers among the best.