Spring 2003

For Spring 2003 Yeohlee took as inspiration, that aspect of the American Arts and Crafts movement that extols the virtues of everyday objects and a return to honest, simple, forthright materials and workmanship, and design that is dedicated to function. What captured her interest was the movement's visual relationship to modern design - hybrids made by both man and machine. The collection is built on a foundation of great fabrics - woven, loomed or knit from yarns of cotton, linen, silk, and combinations of silk and mohair and alpaca - ancient yarns with high tech finishes. An example is the stenciled tin rain jacket made of cotton and polyamide and blended with lycra for comfort. The palette is grounded in shades of natural and white with splashes of color as in the drawstring smock made out of natural cotton with tomato red ticking. Other colors include pale blue to grey and orange. Patterns are bold, as in the navy/camel tartan skirt (look 4) and jacket (look 10) or subtle as the pearly polka dotted raincoat (look 7). For evening Yeohlee embraces the oxymoronic concept of Gothic simplicity, black dresses in silk zibeline with cut out ramparts. For the most part there is no specific delineation between day and night. The clothes are utilitarian and multi functional and celebrate material, construction as a form of decoration, and the wearer.