Di Designs || AFW 10/11

Words by Jeanine Brito
Photography © Faby Martin 2010

Dianna Martin’s first runway show under her label Di Designs opened the third day of Alberta Fashion Week, marking the third new designer to show this season. The collection drew heavily on Martin’s costume background (she studied technical theatre at Mount Royal College) as it played with colour, texture and shape.

Martin opened with a series of looks that were reminiscent of the Twilight films in their dark colours and vampire aesthetic. Sheer layering and the use of shiny nylon tricot caught the attention of the audience, furthered by the addition of velour and satin into the texture scheme.

Dresses featured unexpected details including plaid inserts and laced necklines, introduced later on in the show as blues and greens were brought into the colour palette. Martin also played with the use of often overlooked materials – a tunic made out of sports jersey mesh and a tulle skirt (a piece that toyed with the boundary between skirt and ballerina tutu) added a flair to the collection that could only come from having such a unique background.

Other highlights of the show include the structured corseted bodices; gowns that layered sheer, high-sheen fabrics over solid bases; and the use of the nylon tricot in various points of the collection, something that was an underlying foundation of the line and brought in a sense of consistency.

Martin stated her biggest challenge is, “figuring out the silhouettes,” so we hope to see stronger tailoring from her in her next collection. Still, it’s Martin’s playfulness that draws our attention – “I like to have fun with clothing, making it wearable and unique.”