TollaCole S/S 2012 Collection
There was a sense of occasion surrounding designer Atoia Scott’s debut showing of her TollaCole label during New York Fashion Week. The new designer is no stranger to the fashion industry. She has interned at Stella McCartney, American Apothecary Clothing Company, and Models Internationals before she was hired as an assistant then promoted to a booker but that’s all in the past. This was her debut presentation.
The deliberately low-key presentation at the Waterhouse & Dodd International Gallery played up the quiet presence of her designs paired with the ambiance created by way of the Justine Smith installations that exemplified the harmony between fashion and art. TollaCole is all about reintroducing glamour and sophistication to evening wear in an industry that has been diluted by cocktail dresses and separates. Inspired by “the dwellings of Isla de Ferradura in Ibiza,” her collection of cascading gowns was subtle, contemporary and often innocent but bedecked with beading, feathers, fringe, and layering. The presentation featured rich jewel tones, like ruby red, sapphire blue and canary yellow.
Some of the silhouettes—like the strapless loose-fitting short yellow dress with black beaded fringe—were reminiscent of the roaring ‘20s, an era of fun and sophistication. There is also a modernity to this collection in Scott’s taste for long silhouettes, boldly hued chiffons, dupioni, tulle twists and embellished gathers.
Additionally, the evening highlighted Marfan syndrome, the connective tissue disorder that took the life of Scott’s cousin, and the National Marfan Foundation, the only voluntary health organization dedicated to support education and research on this condition. This was a successful debut outing for this Jamaican-American’s introduction to the fashion world.