Feelin’ Pretty in Louis VerdadOur bodies are our temples, or so we’ve heard. And with springtime rapidly approaching, pushing aside fox fur collars and velvet blazers of fall and winter, the sense and sensibility of Louis Verdad fashion means remembering what it’s like to sit upright, with your legs crossed. Couture designers, season after season, are proving that looking sexy and feeling feminine can succeed without desperately coveting cleavage and bare midriffs. And Verdad’s Spring 2006 collection takes that up about 10 notches––vamped up vintage, Sunday bests, yet tailored, crisp, and rich-bitch-vacationing-in-the-Hamptons all in one. His highly anticipated runway show during L.A. Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios was a teaser of sorts. A grass-bordered catwalk with oversized flowers insinuating the arrival of spring, front-seater excitement, and the show’s opening antics as unique as Verdad’s vision kept my virgin eyes frantically wanting more, more, more. It was just another day for gorgeous, skirt-suited Ms. Master, only being held back by her doggie’s sexy nanny pushing the puppy’s pink stroller ever so slowly. With this opening act worth remembering, the rest of the show you not only couldn’t forget, but why would you want to? Feelin’ pretty in Verdad fashion seems like a cinch. Belted up to here, snug right there, and topped with a wide-brimmed hat or satin gloves, he knows that women love to make statements of style. Especially when the weather warms and skin begins to bare, the female silhouette is one worth adorning. It was a black, cashmere two-piece that aroused a Hollywood stir. Madonna wore his design for the MTV Music Awards show a few years back when she shared “the kiss” with Britney. Hardly a best-kept secret, many would say that Verdad’s rise to fame took off from that very moment. Notably, the American-born Mexican designer has dressed starlets like Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz, and Cate Blanchett. And with Paris Hilton, Garcelle Beavouis, Lucy Liu, Gina Gershon, Aisha Tyler, and a soiree of Tinsel Town sitting up close and personal during his show, it’s simple—this designer’s got somethin’. But let’s do it different than all the rest, he declares through bib tops, A-cut polka dot dresses, ruffled “my mom made me wear this” tiered skirts, secretary pencil skirts and blouses, sophisticated culottes, and belted jackets galore. His blushing pinks and lavenders, polka dot combos, striped-and-floral pattern mixing, and sharp shades of gold and silver contribute to his sassy and eclectic spring collection. Written by Elana Pruitt |
