Oday Shakar showed for the second time during New York Fashion Week, having worked with men’s wear designers and having created custom evening clothes in Los Angeles before settling here.
For fall, he added day clothes or, more aptly, gave evening a sportier slant with oversize cashmere cable-knit sweaters or skinny metallic T-shirts over long flowing or pleated skirts. Shakar is most engaged in articulating the body. “I want the silhouettes to accentuate a woman’s form — defined by reverse and S-curved seaming,” he explained. More nuanced were the dresses, which were intricately hand beaded with the S-curved motif.
The Iraqi-born designer channeled his heritage with a slender cape, controlled tulle caftans and even simple gowns inspired by Middle Eastern men’s clothing. Most impressive here were some of his fluid gowns: hand beaded at the bodice or all over in ruby, hunter green or black silk with a cowl or braided back. Shakar has a sure hand with this niche and his 34-piece collection, with wholesale prices ranging from $650 to $6,000, is well deserving of praise.