Joey Samson: The beyonder

Two months ago, when Joey Samson was putting together his showpieces for Fashion Watch, he’d originally planned a collection around a not so somber color scheme. In the end, with the exception of two berry-hued ensembles, the designer turned to his roots, churning out 34 looks in his signature ivory, charcoal and black.

“Distinct elements like anatomical deformities, imperfections, dislocations,” according to Samson, was the thesis of the collection, dubbed “Beyond.” “Anything disjointed,” he explained, appealed to his offbeat sensibility.

There was a deftness and assurance to the clothing, an effortless craftmanship that showed itself in the tailoring of certain pieces. A halter-cut dress in heather with scalloped details across the bust mimicked the shape of the collarbone. A floor-length boat-neck dress, a strapless dress with a panel of ivory twill attached and hanging distended from the back and a belted frock with origami pleats along the collar and sleeve were the standouts from what was largely a rather crisp, cohesive collection.

“Some of the portions were intentionally formed away from the body,” notes Samson, “achieved by boning.” 

The finale dress, a showstopper modeled by Ria Bolivar, was a bandage dress not unlike the kind bombshells inspired. “I was trying to show the human form beyond the superficial. Ria’s dress represented going beyond the body.” Though upon closer inspection, the dress lacked a certain refinement.

Some ensembles suffered from a certain heaviness. The proportions of a paneled dress paired over trousers looked uneven. Dark layers and heavy fabric fairly overwhelmed a look or two.

But, overall, the lightweight men’s suits, smart tailoring and sharp silhouettes were par for the course for the talented Mr. Samson.

“I want to impart to the audience that even if it’s still a departure from my roots of tailored basic black and white silhouettes,” Samson declares, “I made it a point to incorporate what I do best.”