United Bamboo

NEW YORK, September 8, 2006
By Laird Borrelli
Change was in the air at Exit Art, where Thuy Pham and Miho Aoki presented their United Bamboo collection today. Gone was last season's post-modern hipster; in her place was la garçonne, jaunty in nautical stripes, bow-tied shirts, and golf sandals. (The men, in contrast, wore black velvet Mary Janes.) The collection had a touch of vintage, a touch of things kawaii, but remained fresh and true to the United Bamboo aesthetic. "Everything we do is mashed up without being too obvious," offered Pham.

To a soundtrack by Panda Bear (a solo effort by Noah of Animal Collective, some of whose work is published on UUAR, United Bamboo's record label), the designers reprised fall's strong volumes, but in softer, more languid fabrics. A mariniere striped minidress had a front drape "like a deflated balloon," as Pham described it. It didn't hit a flat note, though; this is a collection with a lot of buoyancy.

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