It was only his second time showing, but you wouldn’t know it sitting in the audience for Oday Shakar’s RTW Fall 2017 Collection.
The 34-piece collection seamlessly transitioned from night to day and back to night again, with a mix of sporty separates and absolutely gorgeous hand beaded dresses.
“I was inspired by all of the strong women in my life,” Shakar told AOL. “This collection is about going through dark times, overcoming them and finding some beauty, strength and empowerment in that.”
And strong may be the best word to describe Shakar’s sophomore showing. Each look reminded us of an updated take on the power woman trope of the past. Shape played an important part across the collection — looks were either very structured with clear lines or endlessly flowy ethereal pieces with movement. Colors weren’t muted, but deep and passionate shades of reds, blacks, whites, greens, and blues used as neutrals. The collection was easily very feminine, showing Shakar’s understanding of a woman’s body, but still modest nonetheless.
Starting off the show was a collection of black gowns, each with something extra like lace, sparkle, or brocade. What followed were at least dozen looks in shades of red complete with matching capes or fur coats. The finale lent itself to several ivory gowns with floral accents.
Born in Iraq, many of Shakar’s pieces took inspiration from men’s Middle Eastern clothing with capes, caftans, cashmere, and exquisite beading.
Highlights included a gown with a beaded black halter on an ombre bottom, an oversized white cable knit sweater over an oversized white translucent skirt, and a black floor length, long sleeved gown with keyhole neck.
