New York Fashion Week S/S 2011: Ruffian

It is a common theme in fashion today, masculine vs. feminine. For Spring/Summer of 2011 Brian Wolk and Claude Morais, of Ruffian, have utilized this concept in a most refreshing way. Their muse for this collection was Susan Travers, a notable English diplomat. The entire collection had an excellent focus and told a wondrous story. I perceived it to be something along the lines of: a strict French military woman travels to Africa, picks up on some of the culture, and incorporates it into her new slightly, "at ease" ensemble. The collection certainly reflected my notion. It, at first, seemed quite buttoned-up and militaristic; but with a touch of leopard here, and a bit shimmering gold there, turned into a free-flowing assortment of looks. What I found particularly interesting, was their (Brian Wolk and Claude Morais') use of, what looked like cotton sateen. It was used in a wide range of the fluid garments; from the tribal-printed dresses, the military jackets, the wide legged trousers, and even in the tightly-fastened belts.

Here are some of the collection's highlights:

The above images are from: http://www.style.com/fashionshows/complete/S2011RTW-RUFFIAN?viewall=true