WHO? Hotly tipped New York designer Wes Gordon.
IN A NUTSHELL: "Rooney Mara meets Great Expectations" was the designer's succinct description of the collection. Set in front of a dramatic backdrop of a grand staircase, Gordon said that he imagined what kind of woman would look at home swishing down that elegant staircase today. "She wears these ethereal creations but she is a bit dark, and she has an edge and a bit of bite to her", he explains.
BEG. BORROW OR STEAL: The dreamy Chantilly lace and silk embroidered dress featuring embroidered chainmail is a red carpet knockout. We also loved the burnished gold brocade coat.
VERDICT: Gordon is one of a new movement of RTW designers who are integrating couture-like techniques into their collection. Intricate laser-cutting, embroidered metalwork and infinite and carefully weighted layers of tulle demonstrate Gordon's level of skill. But does this time-consuming demi-couture approach sell? "These are the pieces that sell first! The women buying them are from a rarefied world, but they want to buy something that will last and that they are seeing the true value through the blood, sweat and tears that has gone into making them." But these are not museum pieces, this is a collection are wearable pieces for the women that occupy Gordon's rarefied world of grand staircases. We just wish we could be a part of it...