Flights of Inspiration

You know that every fashion era has been exploited when the stodgy, knee-length, puffed-sleeve and sweetheart-neckline dresses that Ivana Trump favored in the early 1990s suddenly emerge on the catwalk. That’s exactly what happened at Behnaz Sarafpour’s presentation Tuesday afternoon. Even more surprising, she made them look beautiful. How is this possible? By employing rich and sumptuous fabrics, precise cutting techniques, and brilliant details. Ms. Sarafpour is the kind of designer that knows how to elevate a look from potentially ugly to simply sublime through rigorous quality and tailoring. She also excels at creating an elegant tension between contrasts. Delicate black lace collars made a vividly orange sleeveless cloque dress look fresh and exciting, and a sharply tailored trench coat was softened with puffed sleeves. Close-fitting tweed skirts were embellished with sparse black sequins. Slightly over-size, square black bows adorned the pockets of a dead-straight white shell dress. It was a perfectly balanced collection that gave the audience that rare rush of seeing something new.