OUT OF AFRICA WITH ELEGANCE

Wang Tao is one of China’s most successful and accomplished designers. But, season after season, she conquers New York Fashion Week with the elegance and sophistication of her line, Taoray Wang.

For Spring/Summer 2016, her inspiration was the film “Out of Africa”. And you can see her inspiration in every design. “When that movie came out, I was sort of shocked”, she said, backstage before the show. “The style was so simple, so minimal and so elegant. I could never get rid of those images.”

Elegance is the thread that runs through every Taoray Wang collection, and this is no exception. The clean lines and perfect tailoring give these very feminine looks a slightly masculine edge. Suits and blazers are pin straight, but topped with easy, looser tops. Maxi skirts and dresses have long side slits. Seemingly simple summer dresses have sharp, asymmetrical hems. Then there’s the very sleek and sexy off-the-shoulder dress with a sculpture pattern that could have come off as gimmicky, but, instead looked perfectly elegant.

The colors, cream, khaki, navy, black, fit right in with the “Out of Africa” theme, but could have been a bit dense for spring/summer. Instead, Wang’s fabric choices, silk and cotton, made them cool and easy-to-wear.

She says she stuck so close to her inspiration, because the film’s main character drove the collection. “She was so great”, she said. “She always carried herself very elegantly and with grace. I think the Taoray Wang woman is that kind of character.”

© Red Stiletto Media 2015                                Photography: Anton Brookes