ashleigh verrier

They say you shouldn't count on happy endings but Coutorture favorite Ashleigh Verrier's clothing is made for women who write their own stories. The always informed Verrier drewn on inspiration from fairy tales this season an interesting continuation if we may say so from Fall's Russian romanticism. But if there is one thing we appreciate it is Verrier's very personal narrative. She drawn's own her own inner convictions and personal preferences to shape inspirations into something unique in her design process.

The collection was decidely less serious than her Fall collection and we mean that in the best possible way. Verrier told us it was an emphasis on whimsy. In particular this played out in the detail work with a few friendly animals making their way onto pieces.  With sponsor Swarovski providing crystals there many options for those in need of a little something extra. And we even saw a hood on the catwalk, and no it wasn't red, it was blue!

In the end, Ashleigh shows the clothing she legitimately wears, presenting a kind of porcelin princess. And this confidence in her own work makes us that much more inclined to join in the fun.

Ashleigh Verrier never ceases to inspire us here at Coutorture, her feel for textiles, her intellectual inspirations, and her love of whimsy are a knockout combination in a sea of light weights. Often when interviewing designers  we feel that all is required is a basic "so, how about them inspirations" and a monologue of media training pours forth. Not that we are complaining, we need those sound bites! But with Ashleigh it is always a conversation as she touches lightly but articulately on her work process. The fact that she is a perfect porcelain doll probably doesn't hurt matters any. But as we grow frustrated with a culture that encourages a kind of celebrity from designers, replete with parties and photo opportunities, Ashleigh steers clear of her young peers by sheer tint of talent and intellect. She is no light weight!

We can't wait to see this collection on the runway. Her inspiration of fairytales, more Brother's Grimm than Disney, continues in the vein of her Russian Romanticism Fall 2008 collection, even as it lightens up with doses of humour. In particular the jewelry this season is note worthy. We promise you won't be disappointed with the styling! And for more insight check out the interview we had with her last week as she worked to finish her collection.

To celebrate the kick off of New York Fashion Week we've produced five teaser videos for the Spring 09 season. Last week, amid the inevitable chaos of designers and their pr offices, we snuck in and said hello to some of our favorite New York designers. That is Jerry Tam of Form, Ashleigh Verrier, Steinunn Sigurd of Steinunn, Chris Han, and Brandy Lunsford of Harlan Bel. In the teasers you'll discover a glimpse of the inspiration behind their collections and what each designer does to prepare for Fashion Week. When the time comes, we'll be posting their respective Spring 09 fashion shows (or presentations) and a little backstage action to boot.

Coutorture produced a lot of videos this fashion week. We had runway videos, backstage makeup, and designer interviews, making us very busy bees for most of the week. Check out some of our favorite designer interviews including Francisco Costa of Calvin Klein, Chris Han, Isaac Mizrahi, Tory Burch, Naeem Khan, Michael Kors, Joanna Mastroianni, Monique Lhuillier, John Varvatos, Donna Karen at DKNY, Ashleigh Verrier and our very favorite Oscar De La Renta. We have a ton more so please check out all of our video coverage of Fashion Week!

Ashleigh Verrier, though young, and a relative newcomer... (her first show was in Spring 2007, when she won the UPS Delivering Fashion's Future award), has received support from some of the most established fashion companies. Her senior thesis collection was picked up by Saks, and now, for A/W 08, she's teamed up with Swarovksi, who will supply her with crystals for the Russian Imperialism inspired collection. Verrier is breaking the rules because, rather than simply associating with what's young and hip (which we would be easy, because she is rather young and hip), she's cultivating a label synonymous with luxury, aimed at a higher age demographic than that which she belongs to. In other words, she's working on cultivating a brand with staying-power.

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