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subscribe to style file blog via RSSshelley steffee lays the foundation for spring ‘09
October 20, 2008 10:36 am
“Foundation,” says Shelley Steffee. And when Steffee uses the word “foundation” to talk about her Spring ‘09 collection, she’s really talking about a few things. She’s talking about architecture, first of all, and its laying down of invisible groundworks. And she’s speaking, too, of foundation in clothing—those garments that gird our outfits to our bodies. And then there’s Steffee’s Spring ‘09 palette, which takes makeup foundation colors as its premise before hopping off in all sorts of bright-yet-moody, Marlene Dumas-inspired directions. “I always weave a lot of research and a lot of references through my collections,” the designer explains. “This season, all of my ideas kept drifting back to that idea of foundation. What’s the first layer?” Steffee has riffed on this theme in several ways, such as building palimpsest dresses from stacked chiffons and introducing new fabrics such as a Japanese jersey that feels like lingerie silk. “Honestly, this whole foundation kick happened because I was up late one night watching a documentary about Hollywood cinematographers on Ovation. I was really intrigued by the ways they create a world through architecture and light. That’s where they start. Which is another way of thinking about ‘foundation.’ It’s where you start.” So, it goes without saying, she started there.
tags: Shelley Steffee
