Vivienne Tam Fall 2014: Cave craving
The inspiration: A place called Dunhuang, a revered cultural heritage site in Vivienne Tam’s native China. The place is famed for its ancient cave murals, which she’s reproduced in dresses in the form of digital prints.
The vibe: Very ‘70s, with culottes, elegant brocades and a series of maxi dresses, A-line skirts, eyelet midis. If anyone had suddenly started singing something from Carole King's “Tapestry” album, we wouldn’t have been surprised.
The lust-o-meter: High if you’re fully committed to prints. There were some solids (a prim gray number with high neck that tied in a bow), a serene champagne ribbon-tiered dress with sheer sleeves, or a leather jumper with cord belt, but the majority were prints -- crazy-quilt abstract designs on dresses, separates and tights, some based on the cave drawings, others on a form of Chinese pottery. The lace pieces were also noteworthy, especially a champagne lace applique blouse worn with burgundy leather skirt, or a red lace dress.
Eh: Some of those maxi dresses seemed a tad too staid and “Stepford Wives-y.”
Our take: Stick with the prints -- though the mixing of such busy prints on skirts and tights is a look that’s hard to pull off off the runway.