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Women's Wear News
2005

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A model walks down the runway for the Carlo Demichelis Fall 2006 show during Fashion Week Mexico at the Camino Real Hotel in Mexico City on April 4, 2006.

Fashion Week Mexico launched its second ever fashion season yesterday evening on the rooftop of Camino Real Hotel in the heart of Mexico City's swanky Polanco district. While the sight of the bustling staff, eager socialites and swarming press members followed the formula of any given fashion week, the voluptuous runway models and flamboyant clothes seen so far make it clear that Mexico carries its own definition of style.

Most of the collections thus far failed to show more than one or two memorable looks, but local designer favorite Carlo Demichelis easily outshined the rest of his fellow designers with a stellar collection that had the clean sophistication of Narciso Rodriguez and a kind of decadence rarely seen in American fashion.

The show began with a handful of conservative ensembles that included a cowl neck grey wool jacket and a traditional olive peacoat with strips of metallic black leather trimming. The feminine silhouette of a bold leather coat with chocolate leather shingles kept the avant-garde look clean and accessible while a form-fitting blazer worn over black riding pants gave audience members a glimpse of the designer's softer side.

A floor-skimming grey gown with all-over beaded embroidery and a fitted black dress with a gold chiffon tiered bust stole the show. The plunging backside of the grey gown exposed enough skin to visually lift the heaviness of its beaded embellishments whereas the latter gown's simple black bodice tamed the explosion of gold chiffon detailing that beautifully framed the decolletage.

Demichelis' play with volume and texture, however, did not always make for great clothing. For example, the glittering sequins on a sheer black chiffon fish-tail top looked like it came straight out of a scene from the "Matrix" trilogy and a kimono-inspired eggplant shirt-dress looked sloppy and out of sync with the rest of the collection.

It also didn't help that many of the runway models didn't know how to work the runway, as more than a couple succumbed to falls or the loss of a shoe.

Clearly, the audience didn't seem to mind, as most everyone rose from their seats to give the designer a standing ovation at the end of the show but Demichelis needs to work harder at focusing his collection and perfecting his runway presentation should he want to claim a spot in the global fashion market. This is especially true if he plans on ever showing in New York, Paris or Milan where unforgiving critiques dominate.

Lucky for Demichelis, there is no denying that this designer has the raw talent and local notoriety that is necessary to put him on the right track towards international success.