[Editor's note: Guy vs. Girl. We've already given you the guy's take on Wednesday night, now here's Karen's.]
Fashionistas don’t do rain.
Which speaks volumes for the crowd of attendees that packed the tents Wednesday night for retailers and Featured Designer Mychael Knight’s much anticipated show.
Perhaps it was because we already had one day under our belts, but the vibe in the room felt more relaxed than Tuesday, with everyone settling in to rhythm of the week. Opening was Monkee’s of Daniel Island, who made bold, yet commendable beauty decisions with a yellow lip and eye, strong cat liner and 1950’s pompadour meets French twist hair. The rocker hair and makeup contrasted well with bold stripes and patterns, studded accessories and assertive lines, all blending with the occasional sweet dress, adding wearable charm to the presentation.
Up next was Banana Republic, showing a predictable yet comprehensive showing. Sucker Jeans, co-designer by actor Orlando Jones, showed after in a rainbow of color. The unisex line outfitted men and women with vests, button ups and of course their signature Sucker jean in shades of purple, russet, pink, yellow, turquoise and red. Whew! After a break we were treated to a candy inspired presentation by Thera M, where models cheekily sucked ring pops at the end of the runway while posing for the photogs. Sweet dresses in shocks of pink, turquoise, orange and mint were gorgeous, paired with lined eyes and neon pouts.
When we’d had enough sugar, House of Sage exploded onto the catwalk with a Rocker Gal meets Nerdy Guy themed show. Oversized glasses in pink, turquoise and black (with added bridge tape for emphasis) were shown against colored acid wash jeans, sequined under tops and rocker tees with brightly colored accessories (think bright sneaker laces and clutches).
The last of the retailers finished out with Palm Avenue, showing Lilly Pulitzer brights for that resort loving mom. To their credit, they did throw a shirtless man down the runway to throngs of screaming women in an attempt to spice up the fairly predictable showing. After a break the crowd geared up for the event of the evening: The Mychael Knight collection. Not having shown since Bryant Park after Project Runway, rumors swirled about the content of Knight’s show. Surpassing all expectations, the designer floored us with an extremely strong collection of severe silhouettes dominating the notion of shape and structure. While some referenced Lady Gaga, I found it awe-inspiring and very, very solid. Huge fabric fans graced the front of long and mini dresses, fabulous jumpsuits and two piece ensembles shown in all black and white. When the designer took the stage the crowd went wild, giving Knight a standing ovation.
After the close of the shows, TheDigitel Team was off to cover the After Party Scene with Caroline Millard. Make sure to catch her rundown each night (posting soon on our Charleston Fashion Week page,) alongside our runway coverage!
