by Sarah

Tuesday I headed across the bridge and up through town to the Trump Towers. There, I caught a preview of Suma C’s debut line for Spring/Summer as well as a look at her upcoming Fall/Winter collection. I didn’t have time to chat with the designer– just said a quick “hi” to her while I was there, but the clothes– her really gorgeous clothes– speak for themselves. If I had to guess at Suma Chander’s character, I’d say she honors elegance and beauty as much as she honors power and order– specifically in women.

The Indian- born designer actually worked on Wall Street for thirteen years before she gave in and indulged her dream of designing — namely, using  fabrics with the rich textures and embellishments traditionally worn in her native country. Working as a powerful woman in a male-dominated world must have inspired this knock ‘em dead at the board meeting then slay and seduce ‘em after hours collection. Some pieces even feel a little  Jackie O fresh from India, and others feel a little Grace Kelly goes equestrian. From the blazers, to the pant suits, to the dresses, all of them really look like they know what they’re doing. In Suma’s line, power and grace ride side by side. New York City’s definitely a muse– her apartment boasts a huge, open view of the Manhattan and its Hudson River. Watching the water move all day probably serves to inspire all that beautiful movement in her soft dresses, caftans, and blouses, but the towering steel city buildings speak to the success, strength, and independence found in her blazers, jackets, and suits. Essentially, Suma favors clean lines and strong statements while also keeping her hand lightly on the hip of glamour.

We like it, a lot. Below are a few of our favorite pieces from this season and the upcoming Fall/Winter collection. You can own your own piece of the Suma Collection at the end of this month, when it’s available on the designer’s website, as well as at Searle and Albertine.

Fall/Winter. The arm bands feel so powerful.

silvery caftan. F/W.

caftan with the blues. F/W

In person, this screams Jackie O/Equestrian. F/W.

The feathers and the movement of this dress make it to die for. Spring/Summer.

My favorite-- so warm, so cool, so SOFT, goes with everything. From Fall/Winter 2010.

Tags: Fashion Week

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 5:09 pm and is filed under fashion&style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.