After a few seasons presenting her capsule collections of ready-to-wear by appointment, Wendy Nichol staged her first-ever fashion show today. And she didn t pull any punches: Nichol has always had a taste for the occult, and this time out, she fully engaged it, mashing up Victorian Gothic silhouettes and a new-age, Wiccan vibe for a collection loosely themed around the signs of the zodiac. The look was very, very specific—though it ought to be noted that, styled differently, many of Nichol s simpler pieces, like her bustier underpinnings, leather vests, or bias-cut slipdresses could translate into many women s wardrobes. That wasn t the point, though. The woman who is looking for items such as a fitted, ribboned silk jacket with a blouse sewn into it, vintage-style, or a floor-length tulle skirt with just the suggestion of a bustle, is going to be over the moon that Nichol is producing them. Even skeptics ought to take a second look at Nichol s work: Her construction is simply extraordinary. The details she finessed for the looks in this show are virtually uncountable, and Nichol didn t stint on material, either. It s very much to her credit that the result only looks like magic.
