Cynthia Rowley Takes an Eco-Minded Trip

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The New York Sun

Cynthia Rowley’s fashion show is always a trip. This time around, she sent the models down the runway on bicycles — high heels and all.

When Ms. Rowley, who is known to add a little kitsch to her collections, presented her spring collection at Gotham Hall yesterday as part of New York Fashion Week, biking and summer sports seemed to be on her mind.

There was a tennis frock and a crew-team sweater. Long T-shirt dresses were among the standout items. “Ringlet” dresses with loops of fabric as the embellishment didn’t fare so well.

When the looks turned dressier, Ms. Rowley turned a chain-link print — surely inspired by a bicycle chain — into a surprisingly serviceable canvas for cocktail dresses.

Even the pantsuits were looser and more relaxed, and models wore them with rolled legs so they could hop on the bike just like a green-minded commuter.

The jewelry featured in the show all came from eBay, another nod to “recycling.” Many of the items were retro painted enamel, including a chain-link necklace, and there also was a roller skate charm with turquoise and coral detailing.

The jewelry will be donated to 7th on Sale, the fashion industry’s big fundraising initiative for HIV and AIDS organizations.


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