Hyden Yoo Spring 2012 Presentation: Spring is all about The Lover

New York Fashion Week kicked off early for us with Hyden Yoo’s Spring 2012 Presentation at The Cabanas at the Maritime Hotel in Chelsea. The location was especially fitting for Hyden’s Spring 2012 collection drawing inspiration from 1920s romantic neocolonialism and L’amant aka The Lover aka One of Very Few Films That An Asian Guy Gets with a White Girl (1992). The film does indeed take place in 1920s French colonial Vietnam and my fashion memory of the leading lady remembers that she wore a lot of long, soft, flowy silk dresses and fedoras — not the norm for working class people in a 1920s Vietnam. It was also an unfortunately rainy, muggy day at the presentation space which was mostly a lounge that was experiencing a greenhouse effect due to an all-glass exterior. In other words, it felt like Vietnam.

While that sounds unpleasant, I found pleasure in the fact that the environment was really giving into Yoo’s inspiration. Yoo’s interpretation of 1920s romantic neocolonialism translate very well into his Spring 2012 collection. The silhouettes of the collection are loose and the fabrics used are very light and airy. Just the perfect combination for a woman’s Spring wardrobe — loose to hide the Winter weight without looking unflattering and light and airy for Spring weather. Here are some of my favorite looks: (Please take note of the cute iPad-friendly saddle bags, the weekender duffle bag and the shoes!)

Full Collection Gallery

For more information or to view previous Hyden Yoo collections, visit his official site here.