New York Collections: Leanne

Leanne certainly has come a long way, hasn't she? What started as haphazard concoctions of coffee filters, meringue  cookies and her signature circles developed into a chic, innovative design aesthetic, all thanks to a little whipping from the judges. Take notes, Keith; when they criticized her, she didn't just get defensive and start making boring dresses, she took what she liked and edited it to make something beautiful; and that's exactly what she did in this collection.  

Beautiful and interesting. The bubble skirt is surprisingly flattering and creative, although I can't say I cared too much for how it moves; almost (I hate to say it) comparable to some of Suede's skirts. They just rustle a lot in the wind, and it serves as a distraction. 

The proportions on the skirt don't work with that hem, or with that height. It's too much like a mushroom cap. The top is interesting, though, although it teeters awfully close to folded napkin territory. 

Hm...you know, this collection was not at all bad, but looking at each piece individually shows how off-kilter its start was. The top looks like a party favor. The pants are great, but also...this color palette is getting old. Don't get me wrong, it's clean and minimal and very spring, but look after look is the same pairing of colors. Korto did a good job because most of her looks were variegated, but Leanne repeats the same combinations in blocks, and within each of those blocks are not much variety. That's not a huge complaint, I guess, considering most professional collections are the same way, but introducing one or two other colors wouldn't have hurt.

This is a little too casual; it looks like something a put-together housewife would wear to pick her kids up from school.

There's no question about it, this was stunning. The skirt is not too busy, and it works perfectly against that bodice. The time-old contrast of the tight bodice and full skirt was really re-imagined here, and is a testament to her skills as an innovator.

My god, was this perfect. The high, layered collar and angled front once again show how engrossing her clothes can be.  And perfect model choice, by the way.

She looks like an ice pixie. That's not really a bad thing; it's very whimsical, but not at all immature or tacky. I feel that there's a bit too much going on at the top, but I do have to say this turquoise is a lot classier than the other shade she has.

 

See what I mean? It's a little too saturated. And she looks like an tornado in the arctic. Not terrible, but the sides of the bodice are especially bulky. 

No. Just no. This was truly tawdry. It's a total prom dress. A different color might have helped, but...coulda, shoulda, woulda. 

This was quite possibly my favorite look on the runway this season. It's the best final piece out of all of them; it's strikingly beautiful, slightly avant-garde and sums Leanne up as a designer.

For the bumps that she hit, this collection screamed "Spring!" and shows her abilities to make interesting clothes that women will wear. In my eyes, even though it wasn't my favorite, she's the clear frontrunner. 

See the rustling here.