Brian Wood Creates a More Glamorous Dominatrix

It was worth the walk up four flights of stairs in an old Meatpacking tenement.  The Fall 2011 Silvio Liu collection, created by designer Brian Wood was a beautiful mix of form-fitting femininity and bold, edgy touches that gave it a real downtown feel.  “This season I went with a darker inspiration, and that inspiration was pulled from dominatrix,” said Wood.  “It was just kind of pulling from the idea of, I guess the element of surprise mixed with darkness and just, like, aggressive.”

The soft, girly organzas and chiffons were done in black or dark blue, and offset by leather or structured wool jackets, hard, slicked-back hair and stark, red lips.  Wood is a menswear designer by trade, who also does a line of T-shirts called B-Wood.  So you’d think the transition to draping, diamond details and lace trim would be tough.  Not so, he says.  “I feel like, having the menswear background is definitely helping me out.  People are noticing the attention to detail that defines the dresses and I think a lot of that comes from the menswear.”

The detail in his dresses and skirts is incredible, but the mix of demure and dangerous is what makes it special.  He describes his Silvio Liu woman as, “definitely someone who’s mature, who appreciates fashion, who’s going to see the dress and all the different detailing on it, and just be able to appreciate it.”  And it’s true, the dresses are made for confident women with a real sense of style.

Sometimes, you’re tempted to stay in The Tents during Fashion Week (especially when it’s February and really, really cold).  But this is one of the collections that proves it’s good to get out and explore what designers are doing downtown, as well.

Photography: Anton Brookes