CHELSEA — Street Chic was backstage at Pier 60 for the Parsons 2012 undergraduate fashion show, hosted by designers Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs of Cushnie et Ochs.
The hair fashion for this year’s presentation took inspiration from the couture catwalks of Paris. Sean Gallagher designed the off-center, distressed chignon at the front of the head, while the back had a crimped ponytail. It was an edgy, modern look intended to add a cohesive style to the wide range of collections on view.
The makeup by Gina Battelli was a winged eye that drew inspiration from 1960s graphic shapes. The eyebrows were bushy but faded out with foundation.
The massive fashion show was a deluge of trends, concepts and design approaches, many of which have been spotted by Street Chic during the past year; whites, soft pastels of aqua and coral, print mash-ups, brushed fabrics and tassle embellishment.
The Parsons 2012 Fashion Show presented a very different direction from the classic and slick American sportswear the school is known for.
Transformative volume, bulbous geometry, layered distressed raw drape and cross-cultural elements dominated much of the work. The fashions prompted comparison to the bold patterned collections of Dries Van Noten, the bareness of Haider Ackermann and the idiosyncratic volume of Thom Browne’s menswear.
In addition Street Chic noticed a modernist verve seen in the collections, working in the new black directions, neoprene and athletic-inspired fabrics including menswear with utility details.
