Talk about trial by fire. The Trovata foursome won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund s top prize in November. Today at the Supper Club, having had less than three months to put together a collection (and with only one previous fashion week outing, a tiny menswear presentation at the National Arts Club 12 months ago, under their belts), they had the industry s most powerful players sitting in their front row.
Yes, there was the $200,000 award to work with this time, but money can t buy experience, and despite their newfound celebrity, the boys from Southern California are still pretty green. They tried to make up for it with a charming set complete with fake snow, skis, and taxidermy squirrels, and a trio of live acts that included a band, husband-and-wife yodelers, and a rescue dog. Few can resist a Saint Bernard, but it s the clothes that people come to see. The best of these were a pair of wool toggle coats, one in navy, the other white, and a trench lined in plaid with mismatched buttons. The stylist s contributions—polka-dot silk scarves, stripy tights, bejeweled ballerina slingbacks, and bangles—were quirky and sweet. But they couldn t disguise the fact that the collection was thin in parts. Obviously, these young men have talent. Now it s time to get down to the hard work of fabric selection, construction, and fit.
