DC Fashion Week - Day 1

For those that love Corjor International I will say that Ean Williams and his team did not disappoint. Monday, September 15th, 2008 at the 4H Club in Chevy Chase, MD the first fashion show of the 2008 DC Fashion Week, where Ean Williams serves as Director, was shown before a group of young women and men as well as a few of the DC press.

The amazing April Miller, one of the Assistant Directors, was the first model to hit the runway for DC Fashion Week. The hair, the dress, the drama, the walk; as usual she killed it.

Being a featured make-up artist for this show I had the privilege of seeing these amazing designs up close and personal. (Since this blog is all about the fashion show itself the only statement that I have on the make-up is that I wanted to create a balance depending on what each model was wearing. I really wanted to contrast the colors but stay within the same fall color family that Corjor was featuring.)

Ean gave us the over the top drama and luxury that we all look for at a Corjor International fashion show. I felt that showing within the week with so many other International designers gave Ean the extra push to give us embellishments in the vein of French Couturier’s. There were premiere worthy separates and red carpet worthy gowns. Corjor International gave us all of the jewel tone colors that you think of when you see DC in the Fall, dark hunter greens, various shades of brown – from tan to mocha, burnt oranges, and gold. There was also eggplant purples, burgundy’s, maroons, and coppers.

Some of the incredible Fall color separates included satin and velvet bodices with tonal sequin, tonal stitching or bugle bead embroidery. These were paired with satin full volume ball skirts that matched the bodices embroidery. (*My favorite of this series was all black; the skirt had black bugle beads, black sequin and subtly placed long black feathers – FIERCEABULOUS).
There were sheer high-slit train length skirts, sheer collared button front tops with gold bugle bead, iridescent sequin or floral appliqué layered panels.

Ean and his team satisfied a multitude of necklines including sweethearts, one shoulder, strapless and halters. There were eggplant and hunter green as well as different shades of dark chocolate brown jacquard print velvet gowns, satin fishtail train skirts, satin column dresses; all done with the emphasis on evening sexy!

Corjor International has a very luxury - lounge menswear aesthetic. They always give us great sheer harem pants but this year we saw the same eggplant/hunter green and dark chocolate brown jacquard velvet print transformed into smoking jackets with black satin trim.

For me the ultimate menswear piece was a royal blue velvet 3-piece suit that was cut to perfection, very Ozwald Boateng - my favorite, but instead of the standard stayed button down shirt Ean gave us his sexy swagger and used an amazing black and gold silk cravat with a gold fringe edge – YUMMY!!

Now here is what you have all been waiting for...

AB-FAB’s FIERCEABULOUS PICKS:

1. Silk champagne kimono top belted with a black leather obi. The white train length skirt was large pailette sequin.

2. There were a couple of satin bubble hem knee length dresses. These halter top dresses were thinly belted under the bust and had an amazing quilt pattern. One was done in brown and green iridescent fabric with tiny satin covered buttons at each point of the quilt pattern but my favorite was the one in all black with tiny gold button accents (photos shown on my H Street Festival Blog).

3. Layers of laser cut nylon made the most incredible full volume knee length skirts; one was done full length in icy pale grey. Each of these skirts were paired with a sexy belly baring satin halter top.

4. My final and favorite look of the show was a white sequin full length cowl front column gown – FIERCEABULOUS!!!

You can see more photos of the 2008 Fall/Winter Corjor International collection on future blogs.