Fashion for everyone

A sparkly sequined knit dress from the Coven Fall 2010 show. All photos by firstView.

I've been a die-hard Coven fan since working at Fiftytwo Showroom, which represents them in the U.S. The Brazilian based label specializes in knitwear, and my favorite sweater in my closet is one of their runway samples. Never meant for production, the sequins and frills are starting to come apart, but it's still one of my most prized sartorial possessions. Whenever I lay eyes on a new collection in the showroom, I automatically fondle every item, praying that I'll receive some windfall that will allow me to order the entire collection.

The Fall 2010 collection is no exception. Taking a decidedly military-inspired direction, the show featured plenty camouflage prints, army jackets, and epaulet details. There was an undeniable Balmain influence in the super-short body-hugging dresses, and even though Christopher Decarnin is hardly a favorite of mine, I will forgive them because my favorite pieces were decidedly Coven pieces: clashingly colorful, shamelessly embellished, and entirely unique. Pictures hardly do them justice; you really have to touch them in person to sense how weighty and fabulous they are. Plus, they get extra points for taking the technicolor hair trend to new heights, with a veritable rainbow of spray-on hair coloring that has me wanting to reach for one of my ancient bottles of Manic Panic.