Stylesheet

Diet Pepsi returns to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with Simon Doonan, of Barneys New York, to showcase four up-and-coming regional designers. Project Runway contestant and Dallas local, Shirin Askari, was one of the four selected for this chance of a lifetime.

What do you hope to gain from this trip to New York Fashion Week?

I hope to gain connections, showoff my collection, and express my design perspective.

Wardrobe staples for Fall 2012?

High-waisted skirts. Transparent and sheer fabrics. Anything that makes you feel good.

Regular fashion reads?

Lucky and In Style because it displays what real women are buying and wearing.

What do you wear when traveling?

I try to travel light. I like to wear Bleu Lab reversible denim because you can pack two pairs but actually have four looks. And I love dark denim with a blazer and tee.

Whose style do you admire?

Victoria Beckham. She’s sleek and very tailored. And Katharine Hepburn.

Plans for the future?

Finishing Spring and Fall collections. Traveling to Milan A/W12 Fashion Week and staying an extra week in Venice. And traveling more for design inspiration.

I was skeptical when I heard the Dallas Museum of Art would be showcasing a retrospective of legendary Parisian designer Jean Paul Gaultier before traveling to San Francisco and then to Europe. The couturier has done a masterful job branding himself with An American In Paris motifs, such as french mariner stripes, trench coats, sailor caps and berets, and lace undergarments as outerwear. But what don’t we already know? That his only U.S. boutique on Madison closed in 2005 or that his orders have dropped since the recession.

“A museum can seem dead, the clothes are very old, it’s like a funeral,” Gaultier said. “I wanted something very, very alive!” As he personally guided us through the exhibit, he spoke of a departure from the fantasy world of wealth and exclusivity, an equally diverse world of flesh tones and sizes, a world where men can cry and women can fight, and an artistic reflection of what’s happening on the streets of London and Paris. For a designer who is approaching sixty and has celebrated over 35 years of haute couture and prêt-a-porter, he is very much on the cutting-edge of contemporary fashion.

As we were left to wander alone through the remainder of the exhibit, we came upon Nana, Gaultier’s teddy bear wearing the first conical bra cups, never-before-seen prints from photography greats like David LaChapelle and Mert Alas & Marcus Piggott, and talking mannequins with lifelike presence and spontaneous commentary. Gaultier’s unapologetic world of jumbled boundaries and provocative genius left me inspired and still, three days later, thinking of fashion with an incredibly fresh perspective.

Cascading gowns and sparkling clutches made for endless eye candy at Saturday night’s Dallas Symphony Orchestra AT&T Gala. The Meyerson was transformed with royal Indian tents, red and gold trim, and dramatic spot lights. One of the more memorable parties of the year, partially due to DJ Lucy Wrubel, it was a mysterious evening to say the least.