NEW YORK, Sep 18, 2004/ FW/ --- Since joining Halston in December 2002, Bradley Bayou has revitalized Halston with his enchanting couture creations and his Spring 2005 collection continues that positive movement.

With a stage setting of gauze cloth decorated with bigger than life prints of dragonflies, butterflies and grasshoppers, Bradley Bayou introduces us to the delightful world of insects wherein shapes and textures are familiar and captivating, enough for us to be enthralled after a spring rain when these gently buzzing creatures visit our gardens.

And that is exactly what Bradley Bayou did; enthrall his audience at the Style Lounge with 22 looks of evening gowns, pantsuits, and day dresses that will surely catch the attention of Halston’s very uptown and celebrity clientele.

From the opening black and silk white gown with oozing with Swarovski crystals and feathers to the goldenrod silk satin corseted ball gown finale, Bradley Bayou transformed the delicate shapes and ethereal qualities of garden insects into a graceful hybrid of structure and movement.

The delicate veins of the dragonfly’s diaphanous wings became taupe satin insets in an antique white pane velvet gown. It was also interpreted as multi-strands of Swarovski crystals embedded and stringed like strands in a cocktail dress.

Continuing his interpretation of insect movement, the designer incorporated metallic embroidery and iridescent fabric to imitate the silvery shimmer of the dragonfly wings under the moonlight.

Graceful, feminine and mesmerizing, Bradley Bayou’s Spring 2005 collection for Halston can easily be one of the best collections of the season.

And though I hate to say this, because I truly loved the collection, holding the show at the Style Lounge took away from the impact of the collection.

Since joining Halston, Bradley Bayou has always opted for small venues, a very wise choice because couture has to be seen up close and personal to thoroughly enjoy the detailing and intricate work done.

He has also held his shows in brightly lit spaces, probably an extension of his vibrant personality that even transcends into television.

The Style Lounge is a great venue for emerging designers and smaller collections, but both Halston and Bradley Bayou individually do not fit there. Both of them has a bigger than life persona, and that is the reason why the synergy between the design house and the designer cum television personality works.

In the darkly lit space of the Style Lounge, with the aura of a nightclub, the vitality and effervescence of a garden after the rain was lost in translation.

On the upside, even with less than optimal conditions, Bradley Bayou’s design genius still shone through and the collection still came out as one of the best shown during New York Fashion Week.

Halston by Bradley Bayou

Halston by Bradley Bayou

Halston by Bradley Bayou

Halston by Bradley Bayou

Halston by Bradley Bayou