'Better Get Another Muse'

Opening to an incoherent Björk soundtrack, Spanish model and muse Eleonara Bose set the tone Davidelfin Fall-Winter 2010 Collection.

Known for her hard, androgynous features, the model who once made her name modeling for Gucci (led by Tom Ford at the time) donned a Crayola yellow haircut cut slightly above the ears like small helmet. The coloring of her hair would form the basis of the collection’s color scheme – which also included black, white, snakeskin, fuchsia and plaid.

I had been forewarned by a colleague that the show would be a bust. But judging by the sprinkling of a few celebrities, the filming of the show for an episode of MTV’s “The City” and the fact that there wasn’t an empty seat anywhere in the ‘Salon’ of the Bryant Park tents, I thought his prediction could be wrong.

No, my colleague was right.

The collection was severe and unimaginative, even the use of bright color failed to pick up my spirits. One man wore yellow boots to match his yellow leggings, worn with plaid shorts and a white shirt and blazer. Another particular piece, a men’s blazer in fuchsia, reminded me of the square-shouldered, eighties-inspired collection in electric blues and pinks spotted a couple seasons ago at Marc Jacobs.

Been there, seen that.

The Spanish designer revisited his reconfiguration of garments like he did last Spring, taking garments apart and placing their other halves in unlikely places. For example, the bottom half of men’s jacket might find itself attached to the top of a men’s trouser. What looked like a pleated skirt might be worn on top of a woman’s gray snakeskin pant, underneath a blazer and white button-down shirt.

The effect was odd and gratuitous, being that the realigning of garments served no real purpose. Who needs a pleated skirt attached to a woman’s trouser?

Even the pieces that seemed more appealing (the black coat-dress with fuchsia lining or the long black satin dress) looked uncomfortable as the model teetered in each.

My best advice for Davidelfin: “Choose another muse and preferably, without a Crayola yellow hairdo.”

-S. Gonzalez

*Photos courtesy of style.com