LBS Runway Report: Tadashi Shoji Spring 2014

Tadashi Shoji Collage

New York City receives a jolt of couture electricity every September. Bloggers, editors and fashion freaks trek to the fashion mecca, Lincoln Center, to see designers show up and show out.

Tadashi Shoji smashed expectations and delivered a killer – or rather whimsical – spring 2014 collection. He left no attendees – including gorgeous Glee star Amber Riley decked in a glitter-accented Black dress – disappointed. The Japan-native stormed NYFW with a reimagined tribute to women’s liberation.

Amber Riley - Tadashi Shoji

 

Now lovelies, I’m a feminist, so when I think of women’s liberation, I rarely imagine retro, ladylike dresses in soft, pastel hues. But the go-to designer’s vision of what freedom looks like is feminine and simple with loose silhouettes and gorgeous contrasting prints.

Shoji channeled an inner 1950’s housewife on the catwalk. He opened the collection with several classic, elegant silhouettes. The slender models traipsed in adorable pencil skirts paired with cropped tops in an array of colors, from lavender to black lace.

Tadashi Shoji1 Collage

There was a time when I was obsessed with plaid. Blame it on prepubescent fashion instincts, but somehow I knew the nerdy pattern would resurge at NYFW. The architect of mixing prints reintroduced the brilliance of plaid this season. Plaid print was intricately stitched into gorgeous dresses with nearly-invisible necklines that could be worn from the boardroom to a quick dinner at a chic café.

Shoji mixed laces, plaids, and other patterns to produce a modern, but retro; youthful, but mature; chic, but conservative woman with a joy for life.

amber-riley-tadashi-shoji-sightingWe spotted several starlets soaking up the collection alongside the “Glee” diva, who EIC Christina actually snapped a pic with (above). Alyssa Milano was simple, but gorg in a classic Little Black Dress.

Guests - Tadashi Shoji

If a Tadashi Shoji woman is the picture of liberation, I’m following her to the promise land.

Did Tadashi Shoji nail this collection?

Photos courtesy of the Associated Press.