Tag: Velvet

Through my internship with New York city based Fashion House Tocca, I had the opportunity of witnessing the design process and the collection of  Winter/Fall 2014 in-the-making. Tocca was initiated in 1994, named after the Italian word for “Touch” creating intricate embroidered outfits that are uniquely styled. Tocca’s design esthetic took a new turn for a more modern sophisticated approach when brand visionary Emma Fletcher became creative director in 2011. The Fall/Winter 2014 Tocca collection was constructed with beautiful floral prints and a variety of different fabrics and textures. When watching the collection across the runway for New york Fashion Week, one can see the transition of the mood and the elements in the collection from being more structured to getting more and more fluid and free.

Having the best seat in the show backstage where all the excitement takes place i was able to capture some beautiful shots of the garments and the models. As an appreciator of various esthetics of design and a lover of florals  my infatuation with  the world of Tocca comes from the beautiful simplicity and the romantic palette setting the mood of the clothing, the simplicity of the style lines and the delicacy and flow of the fabrics used. The collection emits a sense of nostalgia portraying vintage silhouette and fabric elements in a modern form.

The collection was styled by John Vertin. The approach of the makeup was a simplistic one. The models’ makeup is to look undone, the hair middle parted and tied in a low bun covering the ears. Velvet ribbons tied around the neck and hair left to drape down the back. When styling, John  utilized the pieces from the fall collection  in fun combinations – suede skirts with pops of velvet bra tops and colorful underpants, mix and matched shoes, and layered different print combinations together.

Creative Director of Tocca Emma Fletcher seeks endless inspirations for the floral prints of the collection. She expresses in reference to the “Blossom” print below,  “This is a flower print that i have wanted to do for a long time. I have an old vintage piece of fabric that i bought from London years ago and it dates back to the last century. For this collection we redid this print in a less classic and more free form.”

One of my favorite pieces of this collection is the “Morphine” clutch. This two-toned mink fur clutch is EVERYTHING. It is the perfect accessory to complement any simple outfit, acquiring it that extra chic and  “demure” factor. It is styled in the runway with an A-line midi skirt and a the burnout velvet bra top making a what might seem like an incomplete outfit oh so very complete!

This navy mohair  “Soaring Cape” is also one of my favourites from the collection. Fashion lovers, I forecast a whole lot of capes making a comeback during the next fall season. I can invision capes over knitted turtle neck sweaters , over dresses paired with long gloves, over skinny fitted pant jumpsuits, the list goes on..

Photography, editing and writing by Mona Hamid

Tocca RTW apparel can be purchased at Tocca.com, Shopbop.com, Couverture London, Montaigne Market Paris, and Blood Orange in Sydney.