ASH STUDIO Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience 2013

Ash Studio is the focus of this episode of Fashion Week in Dubai. This collection definitely has a wow factor. There are a few truly memorable outfits in the fashion show, although they fall into the category of kitsch rather than fanciful dream you wish could play on and on. Perhaps Ash Studio believed the location and hotel would be so breathtaking and the models so exquisite that anything they were wore would be enough to dazzle. The pieces are truly undefinable in many aspects as they shift from traditional styles into cuts and patterns that are one-of-a-kind.

One of the aforementioned kitsch pieces of the show was a sleeveless, Isabelline color mini dress (but really it is something a ballet dancer would be proud to wear) with crinoline and crew neckline. The surface, from neckline to hem, is covered with something akin to large clumps of popcorn. While the front of the garment is a true mini dress things get a bit weird at the back; the fabric is much shorter, perhaps only waist high, but layers of Snow White crinoline fill the void left by the shorter fabric making the model resemble Shirley Temple. As the model leaves the catwalk we can only wonder if she’ll ever find the good ship Lollipop, since this particular style makes the model look more child-like and youthful in age than some of the more flattering pieces that celebrate a more mature sexuality.

Then we have a lovely silk brocade sleeveless blouse with high collar partially hidden by what looks to be a very large bow but is in reality only where the wings have sprouted from before looping over the front of the shoulders and fanning out before cascading down the model’s back and joining at about the 5th lumbar region. The front panels from the bottom of the shirt lead into a short train at the back. And finally the blouse and train flow nicely over a mini skirt that is certainly eye-catching. Memorable, of course, but it’s not quite out of the kitsch arena.

Finally, we have another sleeveless dress, again in an off white color and with multiple layers, and yes, a mini-dress, but there the comparisons stop. While the bodice has no form to speak of and looks rather like a shifting slip, but the overall look to the dress is striking. The whole structure of the dress is motion without movement. In a different lightthis can also substitute for a nice cocktail or party dress.