L.A. Fashion Week Spring '06: Desanka
Desanka Fasiska took her audience on an African safari for her first major runway show on Oct. 20 during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios. The designer, who was recognized as part of last Fall’s crop of Gen Art’s Fresh Faces in Fashion, said the collection began as an African safari and morphed into an homage to Norma Kamali. The collection had an extremely modern aesthetic in subtle earth tones of khaki, cream, beige and chocolate accented by rose and sea foam. Some shapes were clean, with tailored cropped jackets and cuffed shorts in a palm-frondprint bark cloth and Lurex linen, while others were more complicated and edgy, such as a floral-print crepe de chine empire multi-tiered dress with a studded leather neckpiece.
A long, flowing jersey wrap tie-front vest was worn over drape-y Grecianstyle leggings and a striped linen top with a drawstring parachute skirt. Details such as gold metal balls and rope braiding added a modern touch to the collection, which was created with subtle vintage inspiration from the 1940s, ’70s and ’80s. “I really want to create a wearable feminine look,” Fasiska said. “I like a little edge, but I like to be able to wear the clothes that I make.” —N. Jayne Seward
