The Pin Show is an annual independent fashion show in Dallas showcasing a wide variety of collections by both emerging and established designers. This year, the sold out event was held at The Bomb Factory in Deep Ellum with an ongoing performance by Zhora and Friends throughout the show. Below is a short summary of each collection given to you from another local fashion designer's perspective.
Sullivan Layne by Lindsay Harrel: sullivanlayne.com
The show opened with lots of “aw”s from the crowd in reaction to the childrenswear collection by Lindsay Harrel, Sullivan Layne. The collection brought lots of “mommy-and-me, luxe picnic date” vibes. It ranged from neutral separates to mix-and-match to florals and chambray. In my favorite look, a little girl strutted down the runway in knee-high gladiator sandals, wearing a black-and-white windowpane shift dress with details of ruffles along the sleeve-cap. Sullivan Layne had a great marketing point being casual enough for playtime and luxe enough for mom’s approval.
Dika Obiaju: notjustalabel.com/designer/dika-obiaju
Wowing the crowd was no issue for Obiaju. This collection was in my top 3 favorite for a fact, but picking a favorite piece from it is another story. She brought a powerful, new perspective to womenswear by giving a very “men’s tailored suiting” look for women. Her materials also ranged from black and grey wools to feminine florals and chiffon showing the audience her diversity in design.
Seven Flock by Maria Fabre’ (fix): fabremaria.wixsite.com/sevenflock
Seven flock had a very cohesive collection with lots of white, greys, and a minimalistic geometric patterned fabrics that seemed to be used throughout the collection. There were pops of color here and there, but the overall theme seemed to stay consistent with very flowy, feminine, work appropriate designs. My favorite piece would be the white plunge neck jumper. If you’re looking to expand your professional everyday basics, this would be where to look.
Nick Rose Fashion House by Eskene Oseni: nickrosefashion.com
Eskene Oseni showed a printed swimwear collection with cover-ups that ranged from long, flowy ankle-length skirts to lace kaftans. From zebra print triangle-tops to tropical prints on a ruffled bikini top, you rarely saw the same print twice. My favorite piece was a beautiful, bright yellow cover-up skirt that tied at your true waist with an opening on one side accentuating your legs.
Melancholic Design by Jesse Thaxton: melancholicdesign.com
Melancholic Designs brought futuristic vibes to the scene with simplistic silhouettes, but very new energy to them. My favorite was an over-sized, off the shoulder knit top paired with loose-fitted, black cropped trousers. There were flowy cropped tops, ankle-length dresses, metallic fitted pants, and lots of layers. Though a broad range of designs were seen, the theme stayed within a monochromatic black and white theme.
K. Nicole by Kenya Carter: myknicole.com
K. Nicole showcased luxurious fabrics with lots of black and lots of texture. Kenya Carter proved to us that she is a designer that knows how to choose her textiles with an exact vision of who her customer is in mind. Of all the dresses, it was hard to choose a favorite, but one that stood out to me was this long sleeved lace dress that had a sheer bodice, mock turtleneck, paired with a sheer skirt. Adding the perfect touch, Carter strategically placed an applique flower to the waistband that featured ostrich feathers. All designs showed great pattern making (a skill that most designers struggle with) and phenomenal fit. Carter closed her collection with a stunning evening gown covered in gold payettes, wowing the crowd.
ZoMarquerite by Jeanette Goodlin: zomarquerite.com
Lots of hoods, royal purples and reds and green quilted fabric were all found in Jeanette Goodlin's collection, ZoMarquerite. From a pattern making perspective, it was quite a lot of work. There were panels and stripes with contrast fabrics left and right. From the colors, to the designs, the collection gave
indiasPOPUP presents Gaurav Gupta Falguni and Shane
This was the title projected for the audience to see and it was very confusing as an audience member. Aside from the confusion brought by the title of the collection/designers which both bloggers whom sat next to me seemed to be in the same boat I was... After the show, and doing more research, I found IndiasPopUp.com is a retailer sponsor showcasing some of their designers. The collections were outstanding! From the fit, to the pattern making, textiles, to the design, they was amazing! They consisted of many many evening wear gowns, short dresses, and two-piece dresses (crop tops and long coordinating skirts). They seemed to be from all sorts of influences around the world, but the main inspiration seemed to be from Middle Eastern Culture. Bravo Gaurav Falguni and Shane for such amazing work.
Beletsky by Haley Thompson: beletskybyhaley.com
Beletsky by Haley Thompson had very classy, timeless dresses ranging from long silk evening gowns to shorter evening wear cocktail dresses. My favorite piece was a deep low-back dress with skirt portion made of tons of applique flowers. It had a low v-neck for the front, sheer fabric and nothing less of equisite. Thompson did an amazing job.
Radkeem Sims: radkeemsims.wixsite.com/designer
Radkeem Sims brought us a new meaning to tailoring. With both showcasing menswear and womenswear, it was another overall strong collection. The men's jackets were to die for. (Something I'd definitely want to get my hands on for my man ASAP!) I was really impressed with the fit and pattern work. This collection was ART. I'm one drawn to meticulous details, so my favorite piece was of course the men's tailored black shorts with fabric manipulation completely covering it. From a designer's perspective, those pattern pieces to achieve the structure that this did, is EXTREMELY difficult, so all I can say is Bravo.
Alcantar by Carina Ortega: carinaalcantar.wixsite.com/designer
Carina Ortega brought a very marketable collection to the pin show just in time for spring. Her womenswear collection consisted of skirts, pants, crop tops, blouses and more in shades of creams, nudes, and powder blues. It felt like a breath of fresh air, very refreshing. All of the pieces you could mix-and-match and if one had the means, buy the whole collection at once. They were such cutting edge basics you could wear for the rest of your life and actually get a ton of use out of. My favorite look was this white tank crop layered underneath a kimono that had nude sheer panels all through-out, giving it an unique perception of depth.
LolaRae by Sharae Rogers: sharaerogers.weebly.com
Sharae Rogers collection, Lola Rae, brought a fun, positive vibe to the crowd. Her use of prints with pops of color were genius. There were black and white stripes, pops of red and pinks, polka dots, florals and Rogers knew exactly the right recipe for it all. My favorite piece was a black lace dress that had an amazing, unexpected, external red contrast zipper down the back, and in motion, the flow of the skirt was beautiful. I also have to give this girl a round of applause for her fit. Her fit was impeccable.
Faith Diva by Tina King: faithdiva.com
Sass and class are two words I'd use to describe Tina King's collection, Faith Diva. It consisted of glamorous gowns that hugged curves beautifully. My favorite piece was the stunning white dress made of embroidered white fabric that had these huge ruffles cascading from one of the sleeve hems, making this dress truly one of a kind. I can also say King's models knew how to strut her designs in best way, showing how confident and poise her dresses will make you feel.
Lala by Laisa Macias: Lala.style
Large Polka dots, geometric printed cottons, and bright spring primary colors is what you found in Lala by Laisa Macias. This collection had a fun, upbeat take on those key staples. I had so many favorites from Lala, but my favorite look was this large polka dotted printed matching baby-doll tank and pant set. Everything was so chic and Macias did a phenomenal job on her fit!
Yomono by Charlotte Elliot: yomonofashion.com
Charlotte Elliot’s collection, Yomono, was powerful. There were dresses and ensembles with well-made corsets styled on top, showing us a new way to wear tailored womenswear. My favorite piece was a cream and grey wool cropped vest with a contrast red cording for the hem which was layered beautifully over a mid-calf length dress paired with combat boots. There were many many looks in this collection, so nonetheless it made it hard to choose one. I want it all!
Shira Simone Designs by Shira Artis: simoneartis.wixsite.com/shirasimonedesigns.com
Shira Simone Designs was one of my FAVORITE collections. From light denim boyfriend jeans paired with a light green boyfriend tee, to the matching bomber or dress with the denim pockets, this collection was very cohesive. My favorite piece was a sage green hoodie dress that cut off mid thigh. All of her models had teased, curly, shoulder-length hair and wore the same oversized glasses through-out the collection bringing a cute, quirky but stylish aesthetic to her contemporary sportswear collection.
Silk Threads by Ruby Bhandarui: silkthreads.com
Silk Threads showed bespoke tailored menswear, long-sleeved cocktail dresses, cropped tops paired with capes, wrap skirts, sarees (or saris), to ethnic bridalwear. All of which were apparent to have been crafted with close attention to detail. My favorite piece was a beautiful long-sleeved, floor-length dress with the shoulders cut out. It had a high neck and the all over print reminded me of a starry sky with the ombre navy towards the hem and had gorgeous gold baroque detail.
Ana Pesqueira: instagram.com/anapesqueira
Ana Pesqueira had a collection that touched all of our inner girly-girls with lots of frills, cascades and ruffles, mainly at the hems of her sleeves. Her feminine color palette with shades of pinks and baby blues complimented her late 60s and early 70s inspired designs. My favorite dress appeared to be your basic, sleeveless A-line dress from the front, but had beautiful intentional fullness draping down from the back neck.
Brimm by Lora Cook: brimmdesign.com
Imagine old west texas with a modern influence that is what you got from Lora Cook’s hat collection. I’m, personally, not a big hat person unless its a baseball cap to the gym, but after this collection, I feel 100% different. Brimm showed the audience not only the many styles and shapes to branch out to, but how truly anyone could pull off one of her hats. My favorite was this beautiful dark shade of yellow green with detailing around the base. Cook, I think you have yourself a new customer.
R. Nola by R’Bonney Gabriel: instagram.com/rnolaclothing
R. Nola was a collection that made you want to find the model backstage and steal her look for your next event. Think contemporary dresses, black lace, appliqué, and intricate details and that’s what you got from the talented, third-year UNT design student, R’Bonney Gabriel. Her dresses were modern, sexy without being too revealing and she had the perfect eye for mixing her textures just right. My favorite dress had this amazing geometric cut-out pattern which extended from her neck to the floor, strategically placed on top of what seemed to be an attached bandeau and fitted skirt. Looking forward to following the journey of this fashion student’s career. She's one to watch.
indiasPopUp presents Poonam Bhagat, Papa Don’t Preach, Archana Kochhar.
Because all three designers were shown at once, I can only assume which garments belonged to whom and that they were in order as appeared in the title. Addressing all of the garments in this segment as one collection, this one was phenomenal. I couldn’t pick a single favorite. From a black cropped bolero jacket with gold ornate detailing, to a red short evening dress I would’ve died for back at prom and wouldn’t be surprised to spot on the red carpet. IndiasPopUp.com definitely has caught my attention and it was audience seemed to be in awe as well.
Elle Luxx Swimwear by Jacqueline Mccan: elleluxx.com
Jacqueline Mccan set herself apart with her 2017 Elle Luxx Swimwear collection. Her designs took a different approach to your everyday bikinis with strategic placement of the seams, ruffles, contrast fabrics, and other details. Mccan’s collection overall gave a very dreamy, wanderlust feel with her pastel color palette and her engineered prints which included purple strawberries, very cute three-eyed raccoons, and baby deers. My favorite piece had a cheeky-fit, high-waisted periwinkle bottom that laced up in the back using contrasting black laces.
Ain’t No Lady by Octavio Chavez: aintnolady.squarespace.com
Ain’t No Lady was a very avant-garde menswear collection asking the audience and it’s wearers to take a step outside their comfort zone, and as Ain’t No Lady’s slogan says, to “explore the possibilities.” There were shirts that were sheer on the front with contrasting pockets and trim, to denim shorts with denim appliqué with letters “X”s and “O”s. There were long dresses and vests for men, which oldy enough, did NOT seem out of place. The fabrics still gave enough body to wear some of the most feminine associated silhouettes looked more masculine and fitting. It was a very creative approach. The options and possibilities for men really were endless with this collection.
Veruschka by Amy Marshall: frizzandfrocks.com
Veruschka raised the bar for outerwear expectations. There were double-breasted coats, the use of directional fabrics (such as velvet) to create designs within seams, puffed sleeves, and so much minute detail in every look. My favorite piece was a stunning cape with a beautiful darker shade of lime green with lots of detail on top, with what looked like a darker cadet blue lining underneath.
Folksie by Julie Mccullough: thefolksieway.com
Julie Mccullough opened her show with the cutest little girl strutting down the runway confidently in a little sleeveless dress with pleats at the neck. The rest of her show was both ready-to-wear women’s and men’s wear. I loved this whole collection, especially the women’s portion. My favorites looks were the womenswear oversized, loose-fitted cropped tops paired with high waisted pants or culottes, which was very visually pleasing to the woman’s silhouette. The collection overall seemed to consist of stylish, luxury basics that were your go-to pieces in your closet.
Molly Margaret: mollysydnor.com
With her BFA in Fiber Art, Molly Margaret has the perfect eye for mixing textile art and fashion. Her collection had the audience at the edge of their seat awaiting for the next look after look to see what the designer had done next. She beautifully weaved bright colors together, creating not only her own textile, but one-of-a-kind pieces, and attached it onto different parts of the garment. I can only imagine what it feels like being clothed in wearable art like that. My favorite piece was a high-low, long-sleeved tunic that had the weaving across the bodice of the chest and diagonally across the back with the hanging threads creating a look of fringe.
Jiani Chen: jianichen.wixsite.com/fashiondesign
Jiani Chen was hands-down my personal favorite collection. This sportwear-esque ready-to-wear collection featured coats, oversized overalls with cropped turtlenecks underneath, lots of lettering and black and white colorblocking. My favorite piece was this oversized black and white jacket that had cropped sleeves, huge contrast pockets on the front, and featured a mandarin collar. What made this piece stand-out even more was the cut-out french girl on the on the back wearing a beret. There wasn't a single piece I wouldn't wear from the collection.
Photos courtesy of The Pin Show