Lawrence Steele (Q4996)
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Lawrence Steele is a fashion house from FMD.
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Lawrence Steele |
Lawrence Steele is a fashion house from FMD. |
Statements
Lawrence Steele has a delicate way of tearing leaves out of fashion history and lightly rewriting them for a new generation. For fall, he said, he was thinking of "Balenciaga, Chanel, Vionnet. The beauty that once was, as an ideal—but we're in today." Almost everyone is referencing the twentieth-century greats these days, either literally or at some crumpled remove, but Steele isn't one of the shredders. His version of fall's now-familiar equation—silky dresses, camisoles, little skirts, and furs—comes out with a meticulous finish.Contriving to infuse a sense of chic into his collection, Steele also managed to sidestep the inherent pitfalls of both ladylike frumpery and saccharine girlishness that beset many designers who set off down the well-trodden retro road. Some of that came through his subtle way of mixing soft sorbet shades of the same color in the same outfit (abois de roseangora cardigan with a flesh-pink skirt, say, or two mismatching tints of green), and resisting the temptations of over decoration. He also leavened the frilly fragility of the dressy look with a few cool yoke-backed coats and dresses taken from the book of Balenciaga. Simply styled with bead-encrusted satin pumps, the look had a certain abbreviated modernity that set it refreshingly apart from standard vintage rehash.
22 February 2004
Lawrence Steele, an American who has lived in Milan since he first designed for Prada in the late eighties, pulled ideas from the thirties through the seventies into a collection for shoppers who demand a shot of opulence in their fashion cocktail.Steele hit a glam sporty note with tracksuits made of burgundy crushed velvet; for extra flash, the evening version came in a strapless gold lame. Worn with high heels and Lurex socks, and maybe a little knit cloche jammed on the head, these are clearly clothes for girls who get their workouts on the dance floor. Short printed or sheer dresses with big sleeves slid off the shoulder and were hitched at the waist with tasseled silk rope belts, while a gold Lurex turtleneck came with a long trailing scarf to match. Underscored with off-hand furs—most successfully, a rabbit bomber and a shaggy patchwork coyote coat—the overall effect was kooky-deluxe. And when Steele turned on Princess Superstar's outrageously suggestive "Bad Babysitter" rap, the audience had trouble hiding its blushes.
28 February 2002
Known for his love of simple luxury, Lawrence Steele turned up the volume this season with a collection that evoked the formfitting sexiness of old-school Hollywood.Steele relied on severe pencil skirts, flared at the knee, and strapless gowns to create an ultra-curvaceous silhouette. Fifties-inspired dresses swished with every turn, while stretch tops anchored large floral-print skirts. For evening, Steele turned to leopard-spot beading; his tuxedo featured a blinding gold sequin vest in lieu of a conventional shirt. Steele indulged his sense of humor by embroidering a large, cursive "L" (last seen on '70s sitcomLaverne & Shirley) on loose cardigans that are meant to be worn backward.Not everything worked, however. Several of Steele's ruched skirts and dresses looked simply old-fashioned, and there were times when the self-conscious glamour was laid on too thick. An occasional touch of restraint would have been welcome.
27 September 2001
Lawrence Steele clearly feels right at home in a season dominated by chromatic extremes; his no-frills collection was done almost exclusively in black and white. But that's not to say that it was all about bare-bones minimalism—instead, Steele played up a naive, if somewhat perverse, girl-wants-to-be-a-grown-up look.How else to explain black, above-the-knee pleated leather skirts with a white-trimmed sailor top, Girl Scout foulards over liquid minisheaths and Empire-waist playground dresses with gathered short sleeves? Delicate ribbons trimmed fitted pullovers, Bermuda shorts loosened up severe blazers and pearl buttons adorned classic pea coats.Steele's only concession to color came in the form of a couple of gently ruffled, sheer off-the-shoulder tops worn with black-velvet skirts, black stockings and patent double-bow Mary Janes. Add a plush black fur and you're ready to go—after all, even the nicest girls need a bit of mischief sometimes.
1 March 2001
It was a very focused collection for Lawrence Steele—so focused, in fact, that it was limited to only three colors.Appropriating key elements of black-tie dress-up, Steele sent out a procession of demimondaines clad in black tuxedo-inspired pantsuits with white lining; white shirts and cheeky bow ties; white satin halter-top dresses suspended from a black tie; and white pencil skirts with simple black turtlenecks.To break the bichromatic spell, Steele turned to Ferrari-red patent-leather coats, sequined ties and piping on immaculate coats, as well as marabou-sleeved evening dresses and a show-stealing feather coat. The shoes? Black Manolo Blahnik stilettos with a crimson sole, of course.
2 October 2000
Lawrence Steele aptly calls his collection "sophisticated, eccentric, ostentatious, daring, smart, sexy and languid." The American designer relied on his well-known brand of glamour for this collection, and it shows. Printed tweed suits looked smashing when paired with fox mufflers and scarves; so did the flirty tulle dresses with embroidered overlay that opened the show. But Steele's forte is cocktail dressing, and he knows it. His ultrasleek, shimmering, liquid black-and-gold gowns and beaded sheer numbers are designed for women who want to make a statement and aren't afraid to stand out from the crowd.
20 February 2000
Amid the sea of dainty decoration that has been the prevailing theme for Spring 2000 so far, Lawrence Steele's raw, sexy collection added a welcome dose of unadulterated energy. Models reminiscent of Helmut Newton's '70s glamour girls strutted down the catwalk wearing graphic black-and-white animal prints, studded skirts and transparent tops. Striking leather jackets and dresses were set off by accents of shocking pink and orange; detailing included large paillettes, feathers and gold piping on bare-back dresses. Steele offered the perfect look for those late nights you can't remember too well the next morning.
14 September 1999