Ivana Helsinki Spring 2014

Just before I went to the Ivana Helsinki show last week, I was in Uniqlo on 34th Street trying to figure out how many of the Ivana Helsinki for Uniqlo scarves I was going to buy.

This tiger scarf is a first runner-up. So I was looking forward to seeing what prints the main designer for Ivana Helsinki, Paola Suhonen, would be sending down the runway for spring.

The prints did not disappoint. There were several lovely dresses and a couple of really interesting pieces, including the bottom right with the neck wrap, both made with recycled wood to wonderful effect (the collection was inspired by the wooden covered bridges of Madison County, Iowa).

                                             

Suhonen also debuted the Ivana Helsinki denim line at the show. The whole look below looks very casual on a runway, but it is casual perfection. And the gloves and boots do a lot.                                                                                                                            

 

This was not a ground-breaking, awe-inspiring show, but a "Oh, I want that pretty dress" kind of show. Suhonen loses me when she gets too feminine or busy in her silhouette, but the accessories (tights, anything made of wood, colorful gloves, and those fabulous hats), the prints, and the moody music (Shirley Manson) kept me wanting more.