VINTAGE EXPO IN SAN FRANCISCO ON MARCH 18TH - 19TH
MANY VINTAGE DEALERS AT YOUR DISPOSAL!!!!
CONTACT INFO: maxwell@neteze.com

NOTE: Shopping hours at all Expos run from 10:30 am to 6 pm on Saturdays and from 11 am to 5 pm on Sundays. Admission is $10. An Early Buying session runs from 9 to 10:30 am on Saturday and carries a $20 admission. Free Sunday return for all admissions.

I haven’t always been a fan of Bernhard Willhelm. The German designer’s last fall showing left me with a hangover. This fall’s showing was a marked improvement. His show this year was more an exhibition than a standard fashion show with models parading down a runway. The fall collection consisted of a variety of knits in colorful combinations, three quarter length coats that screamed notice me from across the room. Being that this was not a traditional showing one could simply saunter up to get a close look at all of the pieces. Most notable was the fact the Wilhelm did not shy away from the use of colors. While many designers have been colorphobic this fall, Willhelm practically mixed every color of the rainbow to come up with the refreshing line.

Belgian designer Ann Demeulemeester took us on what can best be described as a journey into the surreal with her Fall 2006 line in Paris. Using shimmering fabric and a variety of hooded tops, Demeulemeester spared no expense in creating a luxurious world with a strong French influence. While the colors were muted throughout the show, several metallic pieces made for an interesting change of pace. The use of layering that we’ve seen before was present front and center at this show. The hooded tops would wrap several times at the neck creating a layering effect that worked well with the pieces shown. A forgettable piece was a velvet dress with a plunging neckline (to the mid-section) that just seemed to do too much. It didn’t detract from the show and I left happy know that Ann’s work gets better every season.