Pamella Roland took advantage of the coveted digs of her debut fashion show by showing not one but two invitation-only previews of her spring offering, eliciting double the Instagram mileage from which to market her gowns for s/s 16.
Housed within the Susan and John Hess Family Theater at the Whitney Museum of American Art, overlooking the soon-to-be-frozen Hudson River, Roland trotted out a series of elegant dresses, suited for a black tie event the show’s attendees were no doubt flitting off to for a last-minute summer weekend.
“The new Whitney Museum of American Art is an architectural jewel and I knew from the moment I saw the renderings that I wanted to have my show there,” Roland said of the event’s location. “It’s truly a fusion of my passion for fashion and my love of art and architecture,” she added.
The designer cited artist Frank Stella as the inspiration for the latest collection, based on Roland’s knack for melding unusual elements with a foundation of flawless couture fabrics in streamlined silhouettes.
Stella, who in 1959 gained early, immediate recognition with his series of coolly impersonal black-striped paintings, may have earned his first gong by sticking to a muted palette. But there was nothing dull about Roland’s latest work, which featured an array of candy friendly mint, citron, sherbet and blush tones, peppered with wedding-friendly ivory and white.
Perfect for your first, second or even third wedding – as you climb your way up the Wall Street executive ladder – was an ivory and translucent raffia gown with an asymmetrical flounce, certain to have your waspy guests turning green with envy.
And for the prom queen endowed with a heavy trust fund, options such as a mint and silver liquid jacquard dress with an ivory bow or a blush faille gown with ivory nebula lace and a pearl bodice are the perfect options for a boogie to a 35-minute set in front of the $250,000 per song for a maximum of five songs pop star, Bruno Mars.
The show kicked off with a series of all white numbers, commencing with a striking ivory liquid-organza shrug featuring an oversized silk organza bow on an ivory silk-georgette strapless gown, while an oversized cocoon coat presented the perfect street style-friendly must-have for the fash pack come February.
Oodles of signature floor-length haute couture gowns wowed the show’s attendees – mainly family and friends in the second innings – as monotone ivories morphed into vibrant and pastel hues, a standout being a fitted black silk faille romper with a beaded grid bodice.
Roldand’s nod to the famous late painter Stella was an adept choice to enhance her timeless black tie-ready pieces, fused with her own creativity and desire to design clothing for a confident woman with exceptional taste striving to exude beauty and strength within their versatile wardrobe.
The show closed with the striking closing ivory gowns set on a tiered podium behind a sheer rainbow film, highlighting the collection’s right as a transient fixture among the Whitney’s elaborate artistic works.
Because why buy art when you can wear it.
