NEW YORK — Nicole Miller may be a rebel with a cause, but she always manages to be subversive in a delightful way.
The veteran designer describes her spring 2014 collection, which she debuted in a small, packed venue at the Lincoln Center tents during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in September, as revolutionary. A trip to Versailles got her thinking about peasants racing around the manicured gardens, storming the palace, tipping furniture over and shattering china into shards of glass.
A trip to Versailles got Miller thinking about peasants storming the the palace and shattering china into shards of glass.
Miller, the queen of prints, took that idea and created colorful fabrics mixing flowers in riotous colors with jagged shard patterns of broken glass or bold black-and-white stripes. Her first look, a draped dress, combines five different patterns but still manages to look put-together in a hip, yet ladylike way.
Slashed skinny jeans and beaded moto jackets elicit a more rebellious attitude, but the collection also appeals to the urban woman who doesn't care about being so cutting-edge.
Before the show began I was feeling a little subversive myself, and slipped into a front-row seat next to an A-list fashion friend and Miller's business partner, Bud Konheim. But just as the lights went down to start the show, I got busted when a latecomer retrieved the seat and I had to watch from the top row, wedged in between a bunch of fashion newbies with their cellphone cameras aimed at the runway throughout the show.
The situation should be a lot more conducive to seeing Miller's designs up close when she shows the collection in the spacious lobby of the Wortham Center at Fashion Houston on Nov. 13. Miller will also make a personal appearance at the Neiman Marcus Galleria store on Nov. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
The Fashion Houston lineup on Nov. 13 also includes Bibhu Mohapatra, Rebecca Taylor, Chris Knott for Peter Millar, and Yigal Azrouel's Cut 25 line. Check out the Fashion Houston website for ticket information.
Nicole Miller ivory sundress with black embroidery.
