Red letter night

A figure encased in a red cocoon slinked onstage. Like an emergent butterfly, the young woman flitted around in her gossamer cage, playing with the forms, the possibilities. She lifted the veil and the cocoon transformed into a gown, signaling the start of the next 15 years in the fashion industry of the much-loved designer Rajo Laurel.

"Rajo Red" was his 15th anniversary gala fashion show and charity event (for the benefit of the Red Cross), but instead of merely recapping his prolific history, the 50-piece collection brought together the many motifs and inspirations that have driven him throughout the years in a multi-faceted body of work that was sophisticated and mature, but not without its dashes of whimsy.

There was bright, bold color and there was dark, gothic romance; there were voluminous, exaggerated silhouettes and layers and layers of ruffles, and there were skin-tight, bondage dresses in nude and black; there were light-as-air, ballerina princess chiffon puffs in pale pastels, and there was frock n’ roll. One of my favorite styles was the fringe dresses that gave the optical illusion of tonal shifts when shimmying down the runway, and of course the great malong-inspired ensemble worn by a model who embodied the possessed witch doctor look perfectly, complete with three-pronged wig. 

The production itself went without a hitch, the square stage creating a dynamic space for the models to criss-cross, and the music (retro/future French) uncannily complemented the different sets. The models were expressive, playful, and they brought the clothes to life. A nice touching moment was when Rajo came out with his seamstresses (in white lab coats) at the end of the show to share in the applause, reminding us that there are a lot of hardworking people behind the business and the brand name.

Rajo the designer has proven himself to be a red carpet master who knows when to unfold drama and when to restrain. He has shown adeptness in weaving his fascination with hard geometric patterns and soft organic ones into both avant-garde and classical shapes, turning them into ultimately feminine pieces. You just have to look at the well-shod audience, who were in all versions of Rajo from his recent Shapes collection to something that was possibly worn to a wedding 10 years ago, to see that everyone — yes, everyone — wants to be in a Rajo.