LG Fashion Week, Fall 2011: Amanda Kew Lee and Line Kintwear
Posted By Kai Quinlivan on April 3, 2011
by Marilisa Racco 
Photo courtesy Jenna Wakani
The young designer has already made some serious waves in fashion circles and is well on her way to leaving her mark on Hollywood, too — she’s dressed Shenae Grimes and Keri Hilson, and is currently working on some custom wardrobe pieces for HBO’s True Blood.
The latter development may or may not have served as inspiration for Amanda Kew Lee‘s fall collection, which was heavy on black and peppered with theatrical elements. It opened with a dramatic black shaggy fur coat cinched at the waist with a crystal-embellished belt that served as a nod to both the bat’s ability to fly and the vampire’s ability to draw every eye in the room to her. From there, the designer played with the idea of transformation by sending out a series of black collarless coats with gold zippers that had a detachable layer around the bust. In variations of black chiffon, black paillettes and a less advisable iridescent greenish-gold fabric, the effect coming down the catwalk was of a billowing cloud surrounding the body. The look was both striking and chic.
Half of the collection was very wearable: pencil skirts trimmed with a skinny gold zipper, chiffon blouses with gold zippers up the back, slouchy knit dresses, rosette and ruffle-embellished chiffon bodysuits (if worn with adequate undergarments, of course), and edgy leather tops in matte black and an iridescent python print were modern and cool. The other half was definitely not: sheer panel leggings and a series of dresses tricked out with what can only be described as Christmas tinsel were very near disastrous. Here’s hoping we don’t see them on HBO next season.
Photo courtesy Line Knitwear
As far as closing acts go, Line Knitwear couldn’t have been a better collection to end fashion week on. Taking their cue from fashion’s current obsession with the ‘70s, designers Jennifer Wells and John Muscat sent out a collection that was pure luxe boho. In muted shades of mauve, gray, blue, brown and green, crochet shawls draped over floor-length dresses, sweeping crochet prairie skirts paired with ditsy floral pussy bow blouses, and patchwork sweaters mixed with flared and skinny pants in wool and velvet. The look was to fashion what the foie gras burger is to comfort food. Simply put: amazing.
It wasn’t all Almost Famous 2.0, though. Contemporary considerations came via a bad ass shearling biker jacket fit for a high-end Hell’s Angel, a chic sharp-shouldered wool coat, a floor-length pleated chiffon skirt and a crew neck sweater with an intricate braided wool appliqué running down the sleeves and around the back.
Last but in no way least were the luxurious fur additions. Plush raccoon and rabbit adorned the cuffs and collars of sweaters and coats, or stood on their own as vests, wraps, and in one spectacular incarnation, as a sweeping coat made of alternating pelts assembled in a chevron pattern. The models’ loose hair, knit skullcaps and deep plum lips pulled it all together nicely. As did their ability to seamlessly shimmy all the way to the end of the catwalk — a seemingly simple part of the job, but one that many girls found challenging over the course of the week, leading a colleague to cleverly ask: “Do they only get paid half the rate if they stop mid-catwalk?”
One thing’s for sure, though, I may have staggered to the finish line of fashion week myself this season, but Line Knitwear was there to envelope me in a beautiful and luxurious farewell embrace.
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