Yara Flynn Conjures Visions of O’Keefe and the Southwest

http://www.fashionqanda.com/runway/nomia-mbfw-new-york-spring-summer-2012.html

Fashion Q + A
Runway
September 14, 2011


Yara Flynn Conjures Visions of O’Keefe and the Southwest, but Does Not Translate Their Beauty into Her CollectionSimple aesthetics call for impeccable fit and detail. Yara Flynn’s Nomia SS/12 simple schemed collection neglects cuts for the female form, and focuses on unsightly extras.

Swoops and folds looked like strokes of Georgia O’Keeffe’s paintbrush on a silk, canyon-dust wrap skirt. O’Keeffe and the Southwest dueled as inspiration for Yara Flynn’s Nomia spring 2012 collection, which manifested itself in rouges, earthy browns, vermillion and powder sky blue. Although the inspirations offer a great wellspring of beauty, consideration to the female
form proved to be the true indicator of designing beautiful clothes. Aside from a pleasing use of color, in Flynn’s case this season, creative enthusiasm translated into off putting constructions that were at best puzzling, and at worst unbecoming.

The fabric had an uneasy quality, hanging off strange diagonal necklines, or creating wrinkles in stiff, unflattering dresses. The female form was neither enhanced nor embraced on most looks, and bizarre add ons took shape, such as a gnarly piece of sheer fabric, peaking out of a slanted-cut tee shirt, or an orange dress that looked like it was breaking out in lesions with haphazard, besetting dips and peaks.

Nomia exhibited a lovely print of purple, orange, pink and red, reminiscent of western canyons, but she added the pattern as strange accents in odd shapes to red and white dresses and tops. It was successfully executed, however, on a short leather dress as a pattern block among segments of red, beige and white, all sectioned off with a thick white strap that made its way diagonally across the shoulder. It would have been nice to see this design used more often and more effectively. Pants came in refreshing colors, in maroon and a gorgeous aqua, but were too loose and heavy with fabric. As color was Flynn’s strength, a simple black tee and white sports jacket created a pleasing, yet simple, color palette with the maroon pants.

The entire collection had a simple quality to it, but for an austere approach, fit is crucial. The clean aesthetics only magnified the strange details Flynn added. The colors worked, but just like the inspirations, they are lost on clothes women themselves cannot feel beautiful wearing.