For Fall 2012, Nanette Lepore Channels Oscar Wilde

Earlier this week, Irish America had the pleasure of attending Business 100 honoree Nanette Lepore’s Fall 2012 show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. We were particularly excited to see this collection since the buzz was that it had been inspired by tarot cards, dandyism and the style and attitude of one of our all-time favorite Irish writers and wits, Oscar Wilde.

In the days leading up to the show, Lepore’s twitter account was inundated with choice quotes from Wilde, many applicable to fashion, including “I have the simplest tastes. I am always satisfied with the best,” “Consistency is the last refuge of the unimaginative” and “One should either be a work of art or wear a work of art.”

Each of the looks in Wednesday’s show was definitely a work of art, from a chartreuse lace blouse paired with forest green pants, to metallic loafers in bright blue, fuchsia and gold, to the to the final look – a silky flame red shift dress with gorgeous light blue beading at the bottom.

Synthesizing her collection’s various influences, Lepore said “I was inspired by the iconic imagery of the tarot and the mystical energy of Francesco Clemente’s recent exhibition at the Uffizi. This fall 2012, I seek to invoke the gods of dandyism and conjure the spirit of Oscar Wilde so that he can read my palm.”

A luxurious mulberry coat cleverly channeled Wilde in his famous portraits by Napoleon Sarony, while tarot-print dresses and skirts and a gold lamé blazer highlighted Lepore’s trademark sense of bohemian fun and femininity, as well as her great talent for pairing flattering, eye-catching colors.

Famous faces watching from the front row included Arianna Huffington, actor Stanley Tucci, Broadway star Kristen Chenoweth, and Kelly Rutherford and Matthew Settle of the TV show Gossip Girl.

As is tradition, the show ended on a sweet note as Lepore and her daughter, Voilet,walked down the runway.

Video highlights from the Nanette Lepore Fall 2012 collection: