In the midst of Fashion Week, I received a last-minute invitation from a friend to view emerging designer Catherine Fulmer's new English-inspired collection for Fall 2007. It was a welcome respite from the frenzy of Bryant Park. I headed downtown to an artist's loft at The Canal Chapter. As the elevator door opened, I was welcomed by the popping of Champagne corks and a two-string couplet performing an aria from my favorite opera, Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata. The except was quite perfect, with a young, hip, bohemian crowd' a mix of independent artists, working professionals and media outlets were all on hand to toast Ms. Fulmer's vision. 

(l) striped silk blouse and pencil skirt; (r) trench over pencil skirt and blouse

Libiamo, libiamo ne'lieti calici,
Che la belleza infiora;
E la fuggevol, fuggevol ora
S'inebrii a volutta.
Libiamo ne'dolci fremiti
Che suscita l'amore,
Poiche quell' occhio al core
Omnipotente va.
Libiamo, amore, amor fra i calici
Piu caldi baci avra.

(l) bustier with micro mini; (r) lace metallic blouse with trouser

English Translation:
Companions, in wine lies the merry abandon
Which makes ev'ry heart bloom and flower.
Its magic enhances the fleeting hour,
We taste it with eager delight.
In wine lies joyous ecstasy,
It mellows hearts to surrender;
Amid this festival splendor
We sense its tempting might.
Companions, in wine you find love and happiness,
Let us enjoy them tonight.

(l) high neck blouse with shiny legging; (r) lace minidress

This season, Catherine Fulmer drew inspiration from the English Victorian and Edwardian eras. Marked by plush velvets, the strategic placement of lace, deep colored hues and generous amounts of wit, the Victorian Edwardian Belle Epoque was a moment of paradox in English cultural history. Defined as a time where social codes and hierarchies were at their most regimented, the era is also indicative of intellectual and sexual exploration. This was the lifetime of Queen Victoria and Charles Darwin of Neo-Gothicism and Women's Suffrage, of Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde and E.M. Forster. Social distinctions were at once depicted and reinforced, while also subtly questioned, at times openly protested, and as was the case with Oscar Wilde, wickedly subverted.

The lovely designer poses with friends who came to toast her new collection!

'Under certain circumstances there are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.' And so begins The Portrait of a Lady. Here Ms. Fulmer takes a cue from Henry James' spirited heroine Isabel Archer who struggled in this literary masterpiece, against convention confronting her sexual fears and social entrapments.

Catherine Fulmer (4th from left) poses front and center with her models

The models came sauntering out from behind a sheer panel, to reveal a collection that was a bit naughty meets nice, if you will The young designer borrows from the theme of Old World versus New, by conjuring up the restraint and repression lying at the emotional core of the era, with high collars and longer hemlines, but also celebrates a new-found freedom with bustiers and lurex leggings. There was a sense of irony in the construction of her designs. Satin and lace, used traditionally for delicately feminine separates were tailored and styled for the racier ensembles; while a black evening gown was finished in an iridescent fabric. The well-edited collection encourages us to explore our own fashion identity, by appealing to the demure ladylike image with silk blouses and pencil skirts, as well as the more adventurous side with daring corsetry and plunging necklines. Which persona will you reveal?

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