Newcomer Karina Gamez is living the dream. After a journey that began seven years ago, when she immigrated to the U.S. from Venezuela, and a proclamation a year ago that she would show at New York Fashion Week, Gamez staged her first collection for spring on Friday. With Jamie Chung in the front row, models Hilary Rhoda and Jessica Stam walking the runway, and a slickly produced, promoted and sponsored show, she aimed to make a splash.
None of that matters unless the clothes can stand up to the hype — and this proved to be somewhat of a challenge. Aiming to dress a “modern minimalist, sophisticated woman who is confident to wear a mix of fabrics,” she presented a lineup that at its best hinted at early Helmut Lang, and at its worst was an unrefined hodgepodge. Asymmetry prevailed on shirt and jacket hems and extended panels of fabric hung from sides of skirts.
The freshest look was a navy one-shoulder dress with a white panel, while a white knit sweater with chiffon insets worn with white pants featuring a contrasting fabric waistband felt retail ready. But when Gamez got heavy handed with fabric mixing or zipper embellishments — on moto-inspired leather funnel-neck dresses and awkward maxi dresses with zippered mesh insets — her message was muddled.
