Sue Wong Gets Down to Details

Sue Wong Gets Down to Details

Photos by Gerry Maceda

Tiered layers, exquisite embroidery, and meticulous detailing dominated the dresses that veteran L.A. designer Sue Wong sent down the runway Thursday night at Fashion Week El Paseo.
    
Her collection included column dresses, beaded maxi dresses, tiered and silk jacquard gowns, and soutache lace dresses. They had painstaking embroidery in common — often floral-themed designs from intricate to big and dominant, including a bold, Donald Sultan-looking pattern on a black and silver cocktail dress.

Wong’s color selection was mostly subdued — creamy skin tones with gold accents, earthy blues and greens, and rich burgundy — but she also allowed brighter outfits to shine on the runway. These included cocktail and column dresses in emerald green, royal blue, and fuchsia. And she didn’t shy away from classic black, white, and silver.

Color and details aside, many of the dresses — particularly the ones crafted in light, often translucent materials — swayed with every step the models took. The crowd might have missed some of Wong’s finest details, but they applauded the tiered dresses and drop-waist bodice gowns, especially the ones with skirting festooned in feathers or tiers that resembled a decadent wedding cake.

Wong’s shimmering jeweled necklines and feather-constructed headpieces (she made one for every outfit) also added to the continuity of the collection.

The fashions ranged from cute to elegant to downright sexy, and her handbags —ranging from bedazzled seashell to soccer ball designs — sometimes drew more attention than those exotic headpieces.

Whether designing for the red carpet or gala affair, her hyper-feminine designs — often inspired by old Hollywood — have a timeless quality and flatter the figure without ever crossing the line of good taste.

Wong has dressed celebrities from Anne Hathaway to Taylor Swift, and her more accessible designs are available at Saks Fifth Avenue.

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