Fashion designers draw inspiration from a variety of sources. Some designers draw inspiration from street or pop culture. Sometimes architecture and nature supplies creative fuel, while others look to artistic expressions of the past. Emerging designer Minna Kao references two disparate cultural icons in her Spring 2010 collection, showcased during the 2010 Nolcha Fashion Week Luxe Collection – 1930’s haute couture designer Madeleine Vionnet, and ballet choreographer George Balanchine.
“This collection is a compilation of movement, but the way it is best described is how a dance performance changes in stages. Balanchine’s Symphony in C is the best example, as the [first] movement of this [ballet] begins explosively, the second movement morphs into romantic longing, with the finale climaxing in joy and excitement. I am also very influenced by Madeleine Vionnet, who was famous for her biased-cut gowns. In this collection, I am taking a modern approach to her Grecian-inspired dresses.”
