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Ascending Stars of 'Society Style' Light Up Fashion Week

By Patrick Michael Hughes | September 14, 2012 12:43pm

MANHATTAN — High society worked the runway rather of the front row at these breakthrough Fashion Week shows. 

The society style of designers Rafael Cennamo and Mathieu Mirano was on display at Lincoln Center this week for the pair's Spring 2013 runway shows.

The collections, which emphasized couture draping and a highly developed sense of textiles, showcased a particularly sophisticated New York social style that would be at home in venues from the Conservatory Ball at the New York Botanical Gardens to the Young Fellows of the Frick Gala, as well as the Natural History Museum Gala.

Cennamo, who launched his label in 2006, has earned such high-profile fans as Vanessa Williams and Deborah Messing. 

His 21-look collection for Spring 2013 featured an elegant take on the ethereal aesthetics of nature — from a rose-cloud, one-shoulder chiffon-embroidered gown and a gray gown with cherry blossom embroidery, to an oceanic wind chiffon-embroidered strapless gown. 

Street Chic was impressed with the lush showcasing of splendiferous textiles, especially in Cennamo's black strapless origami gown. The detail of the embroidered looks was also very striking, including the designer's clustering of cherry blossom branches and buds on an oversize bow sleeve.

New York-born Mathieu Mirano, who debuted his first Fashion Week collection last year, also incorporated looks from nature in his 22-piece collection. Mirano looked at fossils of the first bird, archaeopteryx, and employed textures including a navy organza gown and a red beaded organza column dress with a gold vertebrae halter strap. A richly embellished green-chiffon beetle gown with a gold vertebrae halter strap also caught our eye.

Mirano’s collection used some very elegant orange silk knits and gray printed leather, as well as red jersey knit dresses, furthering the prehistoric concept. The collection's white, icy-look gowns in sequined mesh also impressed.

It's worth noting that both collections used underlying Asian motifs — from a jacquard kimono gown in Cennamo's collection, to silk Mikado toursers in Mirano's.