Carly Cushnie

For Cushnie et Ochs's Fall '13 showing, designing duo Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs gave us another smoking-hot collection that didn't hold back on the sex appeal. From their selection of skintight pencil skirts, whisper-thin strappy tanks, and backless dresses to their signature brand of sultry detailing (including strategic cutouts and thigh-high slits), just click through to see the hottest looks from their runway show — and let us know who you think would wear these high-impact ensembles on the red carpet.

It's no wonder Hollywood's style set relies on Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs's label for sexy — in all the right ways — event dressing. The design duo at Cushnie et Ochs delivered another covetable lineup of cocktail wares, accessorized with a subtle flash of skin and a noticeably bold shoulder for Spring '13. Working in a palette of crisp whites, a serene sea green, black, and a shot of electric blue, Cushnie's signature sultriness was a treat, one slim, clean-cut cocktail dress after the next. To distinguish this collection, at least subtly so, the designers diversified with ethereal organza trim juxtaposed against harder, leather fabrications (and even threw a pair of trousers and a cape in the mix). Still, in essence, Cushnie doesn't deviate too far from its comfort zone: expertise in the art of revealing just enough.

• Trends: Cutouts, leather, crop tops, and bold shoulders.
• Colors: White, blue, turquoise, and black.
• Key Piece: It's hard to pick favorites, but we're drawn to the clean lines and subtle sex appeal of the white, sleeveless sheath with midriff cutouts.
• Accessories: Just minimalist ankle-strap stilettos.
• Who Should Wear It: We'd love to see the more classic types like Katie Holmes or Jennifer Aniston slip into one of the ultrasexy numbers with a drama-inducing cutout neckline; Jennifer Connelly would be stunning in the edgier black leather looks.

Michelle Ochs and Carly Cushnie are feeling beachy for Spring 2013. But don't go thinking that means a collection filled with Hawaiian prints and wide-brimmed hats. This is still Cushnie et Ochs, after all, and the brand has made a name for itself — and garnered a CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund nomination in the process — with its signature femme fatale dressing. So, despite finding inspiration in the relaxed beach dressing of the Philippines (Ochs's home country), the duo stayed true to form.

Body-skimming dresses were the main focus here; some came with architecturally sharp shoulders, some with skin-exposing panels, and all were impeccably cut. The palette was strictly white, black, violet, and sea foam, with fabrics ranging from leather to embroidered organza or lace. A series of scroll-edged swimwear and a breezy poncho-and-pants combo hinted at that Philippines beach, but it was the use of draping on a pair of slinky wrap dresses that really felt relaxed.

Cushnie et Ochs was all about the femme-fatale factor for Fall 2012 as designers Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs showed a vast array of body-con dresses punctuated with modern details. Inspired by Pedro Almodóvar's The Skin I Live In, the duo put the spotlight on fitted sheaths featuring sexy cutouts. Zippers also played a large role in the story, lined against the length of the body and, while we've yet to predict the Hollywood girl who will dare to wear it, cupped underneath the bust line. If the body-conscious silhouettes seemed overtly sexy, Cushnie and Ochs tempered the sexy theme with loose, yet still seductive, silk draped cutout dresses made in gorgeous cobalt and emerald-green jewel tones.

• Trends: Sporty zipper details and cutouts.
• Colors: Blue, black, ecru, cobalt, silver, emerald green.
• Key Piece: The draped cutout dresses were simultaneously sexy and sleek.
• Accessories: Silver, black, and ecru high-heel pumps.
• Who Would Wear It: Red-carpet cuties like Olivia Wilde and Reese Witherspoon.

>> Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs said that without that $25,000 Ecco Domani Fashion Foundation Award, "there's no way we would have been able to [secure a spot at the New York Public Library for their show]."  And there was evidence this afternoon that the award did more than just that for their sophomore collection — it brought them attention: a new sponsorship courtesy of Saga Furs provided one big furry jacket, a furry funnel neckpiece, and a upside-down triangular fur piece running down the back of a black wool coat; attendance was substantially larger than at their debut presentation, attracting critical bigwigs like Cathy Horyn and Suzy Menkes; and CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund finalist Alejandro Ingelmo provided towering heels, which between that and the substantially raised runway, created the illusion that the models were even more statuesque than usual.

Cushnie and Ochs stuck to a lot of their silhouettes from Spring 2009: supertight, supershort minidresses, skintight pants, cropped tops, and cutouts, but this time, there was some interesting play with asymmetrical silhouettes and crisscrossing knits.  Also of note: crystalline beads decorating one crop top and one dresses that were sewn to stick straight out in the air, resembling pins.
*image: source