Vena Cava F/W 09.10 New York

[Crying Diamonds]

NEW YORK, February 14, 2009

By Laird Borrelli-Persson

"If we were acoustic before, now we're digital," said Sophie Buhai, applying an apt metaphor to the evolution of Vena Cava (which she designs with Lisa Mayock) from pretty and print-strewn to sparkly and somewhat darkly punkish. As if to drive home the point, bedazzling shreds of 30,000 CDs repurposed by the artist Marisa Tesauro filled the inside of a triangular show platform that supported 21 models in specially created Via Spiga shoes and clothes that were all grown-up sexy.

Titled "Crystalarium," the collection was inspired by a neighbor of Mayock's who worked as a "gem huntress" in the eighties. Back were the tough leggings and the signature long dresses with cutouts showing slices of skin; new this season were motorcycle jackets, exposed zippers, studs, holographic sequins, and metallic fringe.

Holographic sequins might sound like a chancy move, but these girls have never played with fool's gold. The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund award runners-up for 2008 have great sell-through with their "wearable novelties," as they phrase it, so for Fall they focused on adding "never-seen-before detailing" to familiar silhouettes and staples, making the ordinary quite a bit more extraordinary. There were perhaps fewer surprises than some might have liked, but the show was easy to take a shine to.

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[Crying Diamonds]

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[Crying Diamonds]

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[nyc_art_style]

I really like this collection. I never really cared for Vena Cava before. there are some great items here. It's very wearable. although I'm quite tired of bleached out tights and pants.

 

[larien]

It's different from her past collections. I mean, much more is happening in clothes this season which can be pretty nice sometimes

 

[Cinnamaranth]

Vena Cava F/W 09.10

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[Cinnamaranth]

Vena Cava F/W 09.10

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[dumbfairy]

I need a silver hologram type skirt!

Not liking most of the looks in the third post though,especially the 1st dress

 

[masquerade]

aside from the fringe stuff this just looks terrible

 

[educo]

aside from the fringe stuff this just looks terrible

Thank you. This looks like bad attempts at reviving the past trends they didn't jump on the first time.

 

[Grunged]

i love it, but i'm not crazy about it. The previous collections were a hundred times better, but i like some of the pieces here. I find that Vena Cava's summer collections tend to be better than the fall ones anyway.

 

[Aby]

I wanted to like it because I'm usually a fan but this collection is so disappointing and messy.

 

[liberty33r1b]

^i agree. i really don't like this, plus it's beyond boring

 

[shewar]

Well, I'm head over heels in love with it. Vena Cava just gets better and better. But I am probably one of those people easily distracted by shiny objects.

I have to say the photos don't do it justice. In person it was a spectacle.