story by Brandon Ruckdashel
photos by Sandy Ramirez
photo editing by Katie Piper
The Vessel by Lois (pronounced Loy) went off without a hitch, but almost without an audience thanks to the blizzard that hit The Eastern Seaboard the night before the show and put New York’s streets under several inches of snow. Lois Samuels, with this second collection, has definitely progressed from her freshman effort.
Yes, her second collection as a whole is more of the same primarily muted tones, mostly charcoal with white trim, which were seen last season, but the choices are wiser, the tailoring is better, and the choice of color palette, in at least some outfits, is bolder.
The color and form in motion of her royal purple cape was quite stunning as the model charged down the runway to the live music of a classical violinist. This one look was a perhaps a glimpse of a spark of what The Vessel has the potential to become.
Lois has placed her collection carefully into a crossover market between young contemporary and adult sophisticate, but the choice of models and styling did not hit the mark, many of the girls reminding us of young Wednesday from the Addams Family. There was a similar fault last season where the nail stylists had gone hog wild with red polish which upstaged the garments.
I was able to speak with the designer abut her collection following the show:
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modaCYCLE: What is the inspiration for your label “The Vessel?”
Lois: The name is “The Vessel” because I believe that we are vessels of life, and that word has always meant so much for me. My inspiration is really top menswear tailoring, the uniform, and something with clean basic slates. Beautiful sophisticated and I see everywoman, it’s for every situation. I think the world is so chaotic that you need something that’s quiet structured in your life and I see my collection as being something that’s very structured and clean and beautiful.
modaCYCLE: You used a Violinist as the girls were walking down the runway, did you listen to this classical music specifically as you were designing the line?
Lois: I didn’t but always wanted to have a violinist play when I show my collection and I just met her like three days ago and I said “You have to come!” She came and auditioned for me and I loved it and it just worked beautifully for me. That’s how she’s here, but I’ve always loved. Such a fine music, so much soul, and so much [orgasmic exaltation], so much spirit to it and I just wanted that to relate to the collection
modaCYCLE: Did you go to design school
Lois: I didn’t, but I was a model for so many year, I’ve always loved design and it’s just something that interests me. It was an evolution and after many years of modeling it was time for me to do this.
modaCYCLE: What did you learn most from doing a first collection and moving onto a second collection.
Lois: I think you have to– I’m so new –I’m a new designer. I’m so new to this but I feel like you have to have a core and then you build out from that and I feel if you saw my first collection you could see how my second collection relates to it. It still has that uniform feeling as well as– It has the same aesthetic. I hope and believe that I will love to be in this place. For all my fashion to represent this. It’s minimalist and it’s strong and I just want to grow from there.
modaCYCLE: And one final question, who was the most influential designer on your work.
Lois: I love so many designers, but I’ve always love the Issey Miyakes, the Ralph Ruccis, [hard to hear], and Jill Sanders. I love those clean lines and exquisite tailoring. I would say thats where most of my inspiration is.
(designer Lois Samuels)