A Word With Your Wardrobe: Chloe Dao's Fall 2009 Fashion Show
A fierce first look from a model clad in a metallic brocade and Chloe Dao's first footwear collection.
You may not know her, but Chloe Dao is kind of a big deal around here. Ever since winning the second season of "Project Runway," the petite designer has singlehandedly boosted Houston's fashion credibility and steered its image away from oil rigs and cowboy hats. Seeing as Houston is not exactly esteemed for its design prowess, it's only natural that a local such as myself would fall so easily into fandom.My first Chloe Dao fashion show was a few years ago, fresh off the post-"Project" buzz when she was still using the Lot 8 label for her clothes. The venue was free of charge, at her very own store, crowded with friends and fans. The lineup was small, with 20 or so pieces displayed. Though some of those featured her signature back cutouts and color blocking, the collection overall was mediocre. It was pretty and commercial, but nothing too covetable, and it lacked a connective theme.
The show I saw last week, however, was a different story. For starters, the show was set at the Four Seasons hotel. Secondly, only those who had RSVP'd for their $30 tickets could enter. Third, though there was a theme, it wasn't quite what I expected.
Those who have stopped by her cool, white store in the Village know that sunny, jewel-toned garments are more prototypically associated with the Lot 8 styles. When I saw that the theme of this fall's show was "Destruction, Death, Rebirth," I was a bit confused. It seemed entirely uncharacteristic of Chloe Dao to pick something that sounded so broody and pretentious.
When the models stomped out to the beat of Marilyn Manson's "The Beautiful People," the 30 looks began to unveil the meaning - no, the story - behind the theme. It was a tale of three sisters and their nightlife wear: Destruction and Death, as the nocturnal older twins, stepped out together and dressed alike, while their younger sister, Rebirth, concerned herself with more than parties.
Regardless of the occasion, the sisters ultimately agreed on the form-fitting cocktail dress as their main staple - with variations, of course. The look of the Destruction and Death twins was that of restrained savagery in the raw hems and perfectly placed disarray in the construction, favoring the darker side of the color palate.
Destruction chuckled cynically in dresses of deconstructed tweed and do-it-yourself T-shirt braiding, while Death sauntered about in metallic brocade and elastic corsetry. Rebirth was a tad more unfortunate, with a couple dowdy coats and a plum-colored suit at her disposal - possibly hand-me downs from Mother Earth. She did, however, top the show in a flouncy floral dress sure to be this year's Homecoming favorite.
Sister metaphors aside, a dark metallic mini dress, funnel necked scarf and matching thigh-high shoes comprised the first look on the runway - clearly a departure from the happy-go-lucky Chloe Dao the nation has come to know. Models with hair coiffed in beehives and massive black mesh bows showed off a newer, edgier side of the designer as she explored new techniques and mastered old ones. Her trade signatures, the über-flattering color-blocked seams and strategically removed cutouts, transformed the simplest of garments into the most wearable, versatile, age-defining pieces in the show. In other words, Chloe Dao seemed to know exactly what she was doing this time.
Seeing how much she's developed her work over the years, Chloe Dao's abilities as a designer are as unquestionable now as they were when she was thriving on "Runway." The rechristened 'Dao Chloe Dao' label has matured into a brand that not only makes clothes, but as the medium through which the artist and the designer can play with and visually express a concept.
And even as her popularity rises and her profits triple, what is probably the most admirable trait about Chloe Dao is that she remains a giver in her community and the main presence in her store. When I visited Lot 8 for a quick interview, she was running about in search of pins to fit a customer into one of her dresses. That show I attended? All the proceeds were donated to "Dress for Success," a charity aiming to provide business clothes to those who can't afford it.
One of the sponsors of the event said it best: "Houston is very lucky to have its very own renowned designer, who just so happens to have a huge heart." We are indeed.
Deanne Nguyen is a Will Rice College junior.
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