FASHION : Drama--and Workmanship--Remain in Richard Tyler’s Soft Simplicity
Nothing short of amazement erupted among fans of Richard Tyler when word got out that the designer--who balances his schedule between Los Angeles and Manhattan--would make an appearance at a presentation for his spring ’94 collection last Friday at the Robert Mondavi Wine & Food Center in Costa Mesa.
Here is a designer who, in addition to creating the extensive signature collection that seems to earn him endless kudos each season, has in the past year taken the helm at Anne Klein & Co., where he has skillfully yielded everything from suits to shoes for the American fashion house.
If that weren’t enough for Tyler and his business partner/ wife, Lisa Trafficante, the pair became parents less than two months ago to a son, Edward. The three were on hand at the Nordstrom-sponsored event and, in their usual amiable demeanor, found the energy to socialize after the runway show with the many strangers who have come to love and respect Tyler’s flair for style and workmanship.
His waltz last spring, when he was last in Costa Mesa, with overly theatrical clothes has turned to a simpler approach--though the drama lingers. The velvets and tapestries have been replaced with ethereal silks, satins and chiffon. White and red have been softened to ivory and pink.
With this line, Tyler continues his love for vintage costumes, treating fabrics to give them an appearance of lost time. Creamy duchess satin is “aged” with soy sauce and made into exquisite blouses. There were jackets that looked pulled out of a century-old trunk. Six members of Tyler’s expert staff spent “days and days,” he said, stitching pin-stripes of colored thread and applying velvet ribbons, only to be pressed with a hot iron and ripped at sections for a distressed look.
Even worn and abused, however, every piece bared the trademark tailoring that earned Tyler a clientele of the famous and not-so-famous. The workmanship is so precise that the clothes can be worn inside out.
Suits--Tyler’s forte--appeared as gray as Wall Street. But the influence was more schoolboy than menswear, shown with boots that hit above the ankle. Jackets fit snugly or flounced at the waist in the spirit of the Gibson Girl. Foot-long skirts barely covered; Tyler assured that a 17-inch version will be shipped instead.
The designer took his wife’s advice and paired barely-there pink silk and chiffon blouses with the gray suits. “Pink instead of white to soften the look,” Tyler said.
Another theme continued from fall is the touch of Edwardian. Blouses and jackets feature leg-of-mutton sleeves; some are gathered from wrist to shoulder. Narrow pants and jackets in bold stripes of black and white or purple and green look dandy.
For evening, Tyler’s view on glamour was restrained, wrapped in pewter organza or black taffeta. Even his mesh bodysuits, with florid lace swirls just barely covering, revealed a certain subtlety.
His inspiration for the line are “the suffragettes,” said the Australian-born designer. In micro minis? And what about the bosom-flashing blouses and skirts slit up the thigh? “Freedom,” he said. “The collection has to do with freedom.”
