Of Blood, Betrayal & Fringe

Thanks to quarantining and sheltering-in-place, I have a lot of time on my hands. No more daily commute, no more rushing to be on time for conference calls (although I still do that sometimes…traffic from the bed to the living room can often be treacherous!) With the world giving me the gift of time, I’ve decided to catch up on and revisit some things that I love. One of those things is old seasons of Project Runway.

In particular, Sean Kelly’s Season 13 final runway show is one that I’ve never forgotten. As usual, the judges asked the finalists to give them a preview of their collections. The 3 looks Sean showed each had an element of fringe. The judges were concerned considering that Sean had become known for his use of the material throughout the season. They thought that every look would be…on the fringy side. When asked how much fringe would be in the full show, Sean replied, “enough.” A perfect response from an artist who knows his work. Don’t get me wrong, editing is a pivotal part of the creative process; but when it’s right, it’s right. Fast forward to New York Fashion Week – Sean’s collection was unlike anything I’d seen before. Sean’s placement of fringe and his color story was intriguing. The inspiration for the collection was the betrayal of Caesar. Knowing that, it truly makes the collection come to life, especially the white Roman-draped gown with a thin line of orange fringe making a surprise cameo down the back. Most would’ve probably selected a red for this collection but, Sean’s choice of a burnt orange to convey blood and betrayal is brilliant and unexpected! The crispness and sheen of the materials coupled with the silhouettes, draping and movement of many of the pieces felt aristocratic and stately, but not stuffy. I love how the fringe subtly crawled up and multiplied on the body piece after piece.

And then, there was the showstopping finale piece. In fact, when I think of this collection, I think of that last dress and the model wearing it! It was as if she and the dress were made for each other. I wouldn’t be surprised if she was Sean’s muse for this show and beyond. The dress was fringe from top to bottom and looked like it was just poured over the model. Her complexion plus the beautiful burnt orange were a perfect match. Then she had the nerve to have the walk of the gods! I don’t know if the soundtrack of the show was original or added in post, but everything about the moment is superb! The finalists of the season were all quite good; but, after seeing Sean’s collection, he was the clear winner.