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Lawrence Steele: Funky Polished Rapper Flappers
By Godfrey Deeny
Photos by: Gruber-FWD
MILAN, Mar 3, 2002/ FWD/ --- Last season in an assured and poised collection, Lawrence
Steele took inspiration from the '50s; this season the mood was two generations later,
in the '90s and rap culture.
With a female rapper crooning out, "For $6 an hour, I'll get your boyfriend in a shower,"
Steele sent out a mixed message: partly polished, partly punchy.
Steele opened with some fine ideas: silk dresses with giant PhotoShop rose prints, chic fox
fur coats, glittering jogging pants and knitted skullcaps.
But even when Steele takes his influences from popular culture, the end result is always
refined - like the outfit worn by Alek Wek, a black mink bomber jacket worn with track-suit
bottoms with gold trim.
The collection frequently changed gears, from classical to edgy.
One second there was a super herringbone tweed coat in fuchsia, the next liquid gold pants.
The key thing was that the collection had plenty of strong individual items that retailers
will snap up - twin sets with elongated cardigans, crushed velvet jump suits and wraparound
moleskin trench coats with satin collars.
Chic, sure -- but exciting too.
Lawrence Steele
Lawrence Steele
Lawrence Steele
Lawrence Steele
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