Review and photos by Helen Fylactou
Mopeds. Half naked men. Greased-up bodies. Eastern European music. All the trappings of a great evening, and all making for a great fashion show. The LOVAS Wesley Badanjak show took the audience on an imaginary stroll through the seaside of Croatia. Named after his father’s hometown, Badanjak’s spring 2010 collection is inspired by the Adriatic coast and folk costumes. A protégé of David Dixon, Badanjak modelled his collection on well-tailored, body-conscious designs. Incorporating themes from his heritage, Badanjak’s colours, embroidery and patterns complemented his cohesive style of design.
The lights came on, and so did the European dance music. Badanjak opened the show with a flirty strapless dress, a mid-thigh, turquoise and orange tartan number with bright red piping—a perfect fit. The garment’s innocence and simplicity was juxtaposed with a hot pink, asymmetrical neckline dress. Although the tailoring was flawless, the silk-jersey dress left very little to the imagination. In contrast to most of the designs, this dress was less about springtime on the seaside of Croatia, and more about picking up at the bar.
This year’s designers tricked the audience by skilfully using design techniques to give texture to the soft fabrics of spring. Badanjak’s country-club outfit had a cap-sleeved white linen top with needle-punched design, giving the illusion of texture and paired with a beige short skirt, while the embroidery at the bottom of the shirt mimicked a crocheted top. Layered and draping material also gave texture, shape, and body to Badanjak’s chiffon turquoise, brown, and white dress. The three-tier layers and scarf collar was effortlessly elegant.
One of Badanjak’s strongest designs came near the end of his runway show. An exquisite baby blue dress expressed movement like nothing else seen in this collection. It was loosely fitted without using a balloon skirt, making it a flattering fit for all sizes. Badanjak designed the dress with American-cut sleeves and an ascot neck. The versatility of this dress meant that it could be worn with a pair of flats for flirty daytime dress, or a pair of heels for a night out.
Using rich colours, hidden detailing, and flattering designs, Badanjak created a collection with defined tailoring in silhouettes perfect for a vast array of women, and gives ‘vacation wardrobe’ a whole new meaning.
Love it! Great write up, too! :D