The Spring 2006 collections at L'Oréal Fashionweek are reviewed by Portrait Branding fashion experts, Rose Mastnak and Christina Gliha.
Throughout the week they will identify what is working for each designer and what is working against them – there is no neutral position.

BECKERMAN
The Beckerman sisters were the sleeper hit last season with a tight little high-energy show and we eagerly awaited their evolution this season. We were not disappointed when we saw fun, sexy and girly creations as well as the knitwear pieces that have quickly become iconic of the brand. Where we did take a step back however was the association with Rbk. It immediately felt like a disconnect. We understand that a “girl's gotta get money somewhere” to stage a show but it's critical to choose brand associations that complement your vision, especially if that is going to impact the styling of the show itself. Our sense is that this was a positioning opportunity for Rbk rather than a considered brand association by the sisters – it drags these very cool girls into a questionable space. As far as the show itself, the surreal inspiration of “Diary of a Dali Girl” was a bit obtuse and executed sporadically but one of the biggest things absent from the show was energy. The bubbly and sexy sense of whimsy that brought the fledgling brand to life last season was replaced with a quieter attitude. Ladies, remember why people love your amazing work - it is the marriage of your unique designs and great spirit that keep them coming back for more. More sass please!

SHAN
The promise of seeing taut scantily clad bodies had the audience buzzing, however after a long parade of nine groupings that basically showed us the same silhouettes in different fabrications, we concluded that, as it was, the show would have been best reserved for the trade show floor and not L'Oréal Fashionweek. With outfits that could have been bathing suits or lingerie – we couldn't tell the difference in some cases – we walked away with no sense of the brand that is Shan. The mussed sex kitten hair felt right but the beautiful JRox jewelry was very heavy and overpowering and stole the focus from the clothes. In total, there were some great suits – now Shan needs to edit and tell a tight compelling story to give consumers an emotional reason to connect with them.

PAUL HARDY
Paul Hardy is a true artist, bringing something new to the world of women's fashion with his vision. The Spring 2006 collection was beautifully consistent internally and a natural extension of what we have come to expect of Paul with his signature layered construction and beautiful detailing. This, combined with the tableau presentation style, sexy music, and wind burned hair & make-up all came together to create a thoughtful and fleshed-out story to sink our teeth into. The one small question mark was the image in the Run of Show package of the giddy grandmother (elder emancipated Icelandic witch) which did not match the more sober and mysterious mood conveyed by the nubile runway witches. Overall however, we were delighted and inspired. Paul has done it again.


Portrait Branding is Toronto's design and branding firm known for branding creativity™. Principals, Christina Gliha and Rose Mastnak are communications industry veterans who are applying their significant experience in corporate branding to creative-based businesses. The company is proud to work with many of Canada's finest fashion designers. 

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