“Once upon a time in a land far beyond the sea, there lived a young girl her name was Zuleka. One day while picking jasmine she sensed a very powerful energy around her, it was Vishnu calling her on a journey to find love, family and hope for new beginnings. And thus the story begins….” And so the stage was set for an amazing Indian-themed show. From the music to the native Indian dancers, this was more than a fashion show, it was a spectacular event that started with origami birds swooping in and ending with Anoop Desai from “American Idol” fame performing his debut single set to be released in March entitled “My Name”.
Malan showed both mens and womens lines, with Venetian red, Breton Blue, and metallic tones being the predominant colors. Corsets were a major part of the womens line and Nehru, silk, and velvet were strong showings with the men. Former Project Runway model Amanda Fields walked twice, Holly Kiser, winner of Season 1 of “Make Me a Supermodel”, walked and the gorgeous Countess LuAnn de Lessepes of “The Real Housewives of New York City” was the final model in a pyrite and saffron mylar and silk corsetiere with matching fishtail underlay. This was her first runway appearance since 1993 when she walked in Milan. As she put it, “I’ve gone from Milan to Malan.” Anoop not only performed by he himself was a model, wearing an Arsenic and noir embroidered lace shawl lapel tuxedo.
Malan’s inspiration this season was his niece who was rescued and adopted from India and brought to the United States. He wanted to show how a child would look at beauty. His afterparty, in fact, is a fundraiser for "Care and Share India." He stated that he was aiming at a younger look this season after he received emails from people that stated they felt the spring line was beautiful but that it was more “matronly”. He definitely succeeded in his goal!
Anoop Desai was very excited about his performance. “I’ve never done a runway show before, this is a new experience. It will be a great time to interact with the models and cameras.”
Ronnie Kroell, who walked in Malan’s Spring 2010 show, had nothing but accolades for the show and the collection. “It’s cool to see it from this perspective,” he said referring to being a spectator this go-round. “Malan’s shows are always a treat, they involve all the senses.”
Ronnie’s sentiments were echoed by Alex McCord who stated, “Malan always puts on a creative show that involves all of the senses. From the music, to the show, to the origami birds. I just love him! I love his use of color and detail. I really liked the seam on the back of the skirts, it really emphasizes the derriere and I find that really sexy!”
--Rie Sadler
Click here to see a video of Anoop Desai singing his new single, "My Name" during the runway show.
