For fall, Tadashi Shoji said he was inspired by a book he recently read about the Mongolian empire between the 13th and 15th century. “For the first time in history, the Eastern world conquered the Western world,” said the designer, emphasizing the fact that the Mongolian empire embodied a wide range of cultures. That cross-pollination of different elements peppered the designer’s collection, which always centers on feminine evening dresses crafted from precious materials and cut in bold, volumes.
Colorful Middle Eastern graphic motifs were rendered with tiny beads on a fluid chiffon dress featuring sensual see-through details. Rich Balkan patterns popped up on the cozy brocade jackets trimmed with animal-free fur printed with a leopard motif, while flowers inspired by Chinese and Japanese pottery blossomed on sumptuous gowns, including an off-the-shoulder style worked in a nocturnal palette of black with iridescent blue accents.
Employing a very diverse casting, Shoji showed how his dresses, all injected with a certain timeless American glamour, work perfectly for different types of women, from the diva who cannot pass up a sequined extravaganza to the most classic dresser, who wants just the right dose of Old Hollywood elegance.