Candela Spring 2013

At Candela, the risky romantic look got a fresh, youthful update from designer Gabriela Perezutti, who took objects from her own childhood as inspiration and reinterpreted them for the spring 2013 collection. In fact, when we caught up with her at the presentation, she had a great story about the striking floral kaftan on display. “This is actually copied off of a piece my grandmother wore when I was growing up,” she told us. “I had always loved it, especially the embroidery, so I decided to remake it for this season!”

Her grandmother wasn’t her only influence for the show, though. “This season I wanted to focus on contrasts and balance,” Perezutti explained. “I’ve paired formal iridescent beading with a louche skirt here, a flounced lace gown worn above men’s-style brogues there. Yes, high heels would be what is expected, but I never want to do anything that’s expected. Plus, using masculine and feminine elements is very important to me across the board. There has to be that friction, that difficulty, there.”

Ms. Perezutti's difficulty is clearly our gain; Candela spring 2013 was utterly charming, and well worth a second (or third) look.
 
#spring #nyfw