Leila Shams Fall/Winter 2014 Show

Edelawit Hussien for WSN

Quincy Korte-King, Contributing Writer

Click for more looks from Leila Shams F/W 2014.

Right from the start, it was clear Leila Shams was taking the Fall/Winter 2014 season as an opportunity to reinvent her eponymous line. Emblazoned on the front of her show notes read, “this collection is about turning a creative block brought about by failures in seasons past into something inspired and beautiful.” Since getting help from Joe Zee in 2010 on the TV show All On The Line, Shams’ collections have grown gradually stronger and more cohesive.

Opening to the sound of awkward voicemails, Shams set out for redemption in her “Epic Fail” collection. Filled with moody colors of wine, ash, teal, hunter, and black, models walked the runway with natural makeup and hair in pulled-back ponies dressed in a mixture of tie-dyes, sequins, leather, chunky knits and fur. While some of Shams’ past collections may have lacked detail, this season certainly did not. Featuring leather accents, lace overlays, metallic embellishments and embroidered prints, some may have considered this a bit of a sensory overload. However, it was this array of shared and strategic elements that brought the collection together and kept it true to her signature party girl aesthetic while adding a little bit of edge.

Although many of the hemlines on Shams’ dresses remained high, the addition of chunky cowls and fur-trimmed outerwear ensured for youthfully festive yet warm fall/winter looks. One standout ensemble included a tie dye knee length dress in hunter and wine, layered with a beaten black moto jacket. Another winner was Shams’ elevated variation of the sweat pant, a recurring trend as of late, shown several times in black leather, hunter sequins, and snake print.

With a playful edginess, Leila Shams “Epic Fail” collection stayed true to her roots and certainly did not fall flat.

Quincy Korte-King is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].