Sally LaPointe Spring 2014

For her spring 2014 collection Sally LaPointe looked to flowers found at your local delicatessen. As expressed in this collection, deli flowers can evoke an alluring melancholy, as well as a faded beauty. Think about it, the flowers are put out and displayed in the early morning hours and by the end of the day the lushness and vibrancy of their simple beauty has faded or expired. With this though it mind, some of the later garments in LaPointe’s spring collection reflected a rich mosaic of colors that blended into each other just as wilting flowers’ vibrancy diminishes without losing some of the beauty.

Typically LaPointe likes to combine hard as soft elements in her collections. In this outing the elements of hard and soft her expressed in LaPointe’s unique layering techniques in which the bottom garment may be an organza or crepe fabrication topped with leather or vinyl layer. Take LaPointe’s plush matte sequin tulip dress layered over with a plush pearlized patent leather pleated vest, or an eggshell organza crop tee with pearlized patent leather pleated vest accessorized with a white leather folded waist belt as hardware.  That said; in this collection LaPointe demonstrated that she has become a master at manipulating organza, a very difficult garment to masterfully bend to any designer’s will due the fabric’s fraying possibilities.

 LaPointe does incorporate some continuing trends from previous seasons it this collection, but as always LaPointe finds innovative ways of evolving her approach of fresh, linear architecturally centered garments without being overwhelmed by the latest trends. Point in fact is the continued trend of exposed midriffs, which LaPointe has in this collection. LaPointe expands this trend in her spring 2014 collection with her unique approach to layering and hardware, giving her consumer a variety of options of how to incorporate this trend into their spring wardrobe. With the layering the exposed midriff is very subtle and understated, with the outer hardware the exposed midriff is more dynamic but still has a point of view that is unique and attention grabbing.

And LaPointe’s use of the tuxedo aesthetic was sublime whether it popped it a tuxedo shirtdress, a layered vest or top. Still, LaPointe is proving every season that she is not short on design ideas. While others of her ilk are one or two season wunderkinds, recycling the same ideas in different fabrications, LaPointe has managed to stay true to her signature look while continuing to evolve her audience and design aesthetic to meet fashion’s ravenous appetite for the next.

–William S. Gooch