Model turned fashion designer, LOIS SAMUELS has a definite dress code for Spring 2011. In her third collection as a fashion designer, under her own label titled `The Vessel by Lois,’ she offered her unique brand of style at an installation, mounted on the marbled floors of New York’s Grand Central Station. Models were perched on pedestals as specially invited guests milled about in a cordoned area which brought along with it many a curious spectator, in the hustle and bustle of Grand Central Station.
"In this collection, I paid homage to the artist Jacob Lawrence and the migration series. So much is done by people who are immigrants to this country and I wanted to honor and salute that. The whole theme was `New hope and a new beginning,’ You can look at that artists paintings and see that whole aspect of movement and color, I adapted that to my spring collection," said Lois about the inspiration behind her Spring 2011 collection.
Her uniformed style was truly injected by loads of color. There was pink, red, yellow, turquoise, burgundy, purple, white, blue, plus the black and white combinations. Lois’ collection was presented as a clean, simple slate of basics which she believes is the foundation of what fashion should represent. It draws inspiration from traditional menswear and the utilitarian lines of the uniform, creating a blend of streamlined comfort and feminine ease. Lois also showed two menswear pieces, which she claims is something she’ll like to do more of in the future.
Lois is presently showing her Fall 2011 collection as part of New York fashion week. "Its sexy, glamorous, strong and chic," was how she described the newest line. "Its going to be one of my smallest collections to date. I think less is more. For fall, I am using lots of cashmere, it’s a softer line, totally minimalist where the tailoring is of utmost importance."
The Vessel by Lois works with, and contributes to the Manning Boys Home which shelters and educates abandoned and abused boys in St Elizabeth, the parish of the designer’s birth in Jamaica.
