Jessica Halabi S/S 2010

Starting out in the business of fashion is a difficult task for any young designer, particularly in this day and age. Even with a tight budget, Jessica Halabi of Edmonton presented a fresh and exciting line on the last night of the buzz worthy Alberta Fashion Week. Halabi stated that she wanted to challenge herself with this collection, particular within her style lines.

The collection itself was clean and crisp using a black and white colour palette, with a bit of whim thrown into the mix in the form of paint splattered hosiery. By using pleather “plastic leather”, Halabi presented an eco-friendly side to her modern evening wear.

The collection appeared quite wearable for the everyday woman, and certain pieces were definitely creative and eye-catching. A black city short romper with an elasticized waist seemed plain until the model turned to reveal a delightful low square cut back. A white dress surprised in the same way. From the front it was a simple, yet elegant, off the shoulder dress with a silver chain belt, but the back was low cut with a clever little band across the shoulder.

Some of the more whimsical pieces included the pleather creations: an asymmetrical, single strap swimsuit with a zipper detail across the back, or the nicely cut motorcycle style jacket paired with a pair of hot pants. Unfortunately, the hot pants were not fit to the model correctly and opened a bit too much when she walked. Working on finishing and model fit, therefore, would surely improve the line.

Overall, Jessica Halabi presented us with a respectable Spring/Summer collection,wearable and inspiring for the everyday woman, even with the Edmontonian designer’s tight budget.

Words by Sandra Cross Bussoli