New York Fashion week is underway here in New York, and Ivana Helsinki debuted their Spring/Summer 2014 collection on September 4th at Pier 59 studios. The show started off with dim lights and the sounds of nature as a short film featuring models in flowy dresses dancing around fields in designer Paola Suhonen’s inspiration location. The new collection draws inspiration from the film “The Bridges of Madison County” which designer Paola Suhonen actually visited on a road trip from Los Angeles to New York. Suhonen, in speaking about the moral dilemma of the film, says she was bothered “how love can be sensual, life giving and wounding at the same time; this contradiction fascinated me and kept spinning in my head while driving through the endless corn field surrounded country roads.”
The Spring/Summer 2014 collection features signature prints, feminine dresses, light cotton pieces, sensual embroidered tunics, and edgy jersey pieces. Additionally, two need prints, “Iowafly” and “Until We Meet Again” were debuted in the collection. I thought the color scheme fits the season well, and the collection definitely has a bohemian vibe to it, filled with butterfly prints. The collection featured everything from mid-length dresses to bold, printed leggings, and textured vests. I can definitely see a “downtown” girl in some of the pieces.
About Ivana Helsinki:
This brand is an independent fashion, art, and cinema brand. Designer Paola Ivana Suhonen is a Helsinki born designer, artist and filmmaker. Suhonen often starts her collections from northern legends and western romantics, creating prints and graphics. The brand has been 13 years in the making with the family-operated atelier in downtown Helsinki where the collection is produced.
Photos: Wes Holland and Ivana Helsinki
