NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES SPRING 2004 FASHION WEEK FEATURING DAVID DALRYMPLE FOR HOUSE OF FIELD
For Spring 2004 The House of Field took a bold step with a controversial source of inspiration – pop icon Courtney Love. In fact, designer David Dalrymple became fascinated with Love and her metamorphosis from grunge girl to Oscar maven. “I had been seeing a lot of pictures of Courtney during her grunge days. It struck me that she had come so far in the evolution of her style. She epitomizes women that I love. The strong, independent and crazy woman who doesn’t take shit from anyone.” says David. “This collection really is a sum of ideas that are constants in my collections. There is always a bad girl element. There is always a music reference and there is always an underlying or sometime literal element of sexuality.”
Bad Girls and Biker Chicks hit the catwalk in super fitted Cotton/Jersey – and Denim – dark, dyed, distressed and bleached. Strict patterns with an emphasis on cut and tailoring recur throughout the collection from the jersey and denim to the suitings in Spring wool. Nothing is understated – suits are suggestive with a nod to fetish while latex, light and shine are meant to complete the look. Omni Gender. Fashion Bender. Baby Doll silhouettes enter with hook & eye closures reminding us of the power of flirtation and fluidity.
Dalrymple dreams Punk Rock rich bitch girls who have taken a family vacation to St. Tropez. Haysi Fantayzee. This theme is prominent in the resort section of the collection where Wendy O plaids and stripes of white, blue, red, green, grey and pink burst with color and attitude. Mini’s, Bikini’s and Maillots and slinky, slinky dresses relay the message, “Youth Can Kill”.
Love is delivered in the evening; here we meet The Wonder Girl. The Glamour Girl. The Power Girl. The undeniable media darling. Metallics in gold and silver, lamé and Lycra, pailettes and metals combine to form a show stopping statement, much like Courtney herself.
As this season’s message is evolution it is fitting that House of Field has partnered with Evolution Technologies an emerging leader in digital audio players (MP3) that embody its motto, “Evolution Through Technology.” Thirty-Three Productions, a player in the world of music and event production envisioned the match and brought them together. The MP3 players which have won “Top Gear” awards from national and international publications were gifted to Front Row guests such as: Kelly Rippa, Beyoncé Knowles, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kelly Osborne, Blu Cantrell, Sheryl Crow, Busta Rhymes, Ice T, Paula Abdul and more.