LOVAS Spring/Summer 2011

Wesley Badanjak doesn't make clothes for socialites, but I'm sure if they wanted it, he'd gladly welcome the new found clientele. What I find so fascinating about Badanjak is that he is not only a designer, but a savvy business man. Where some designers waiver to find a voice or a customer, there is no mistake that Badanjak knows the woman who wants the Lovas look.

Jackets played an integral part in Badanjak's success - a cotton microweave coat fits to the model, showing an attention to craft over artful shapes and styling. You won't find asymmetry here.

Silky chiffon tops had lush petals of fabric added to the bodice, creating a ruffle effect that swayed as the model moved her hips. Top with a blazer and it could be an essential office look. And that is just it - Badanjak designs for the woman who works - the every woman who doesn't have two hours each day to pin her hair, and squeeze her body into impossible jeans.

What didn't succeed were an assortment of bright yellow dresses - on their own, they read very 60s mod, but the stitched sequin cheapens the look, seeming more like an afterthought. Also, a very unusual pairing was a union of leather and sequin - the sequin execution and leather gathering seemed rushed, but it was an attempt I found interesting. With further work and editing down the shine, it could be a successful look.

Ginghams and jacquards showed a positive interest in pattern, while painted sequin had a marbling effect that showed an impressive experimentation with modern textile design. The painted sequin, albeit stiff, showed a designer in the process of working through textures, unseen by no one else this season. Frankly, it is refreshing to see clothes that are outside of the trendiest of forecasted trends.

For Wesley's LOVAS, what you see is really what you get. There is no getting lost in long winded inspiration - he's a ladies man and the Forest Hill women love him.

Video by Istoica