“Say Hello to Anthony Franco”

By Sabrina Simone

[three_fourth] Wiles had the opportunity to attend fashion designer Anthony Franco’s Fall 2011 fashion show last month in Los Angeles during Fashion Week and hosted at Craig Olsen Designs. Franco is a commercial stylist and designer who has styled, designed and dressed the likes of Angelina Jolie, Andre 3000 and Eva Longoria.
We caught up with Anthony backstage and the first question we asked him is what makes a woman sexy?

Wiles: What is the inspiration behind the upcoming fall season line?

Franco: This season I took inspiration from the decadence and masculinity depicted in the film “Scarface” as well as the raw sex appeal captured in Helmut Newton’s photography. I thought this collection would be best showcased by creating set ups of photo stills within the collection making for a great picture.

I chose 5 colors and stuck with that palette for both men and women, using different textures whether it was beading, feathers, knit or fabric to show how these 5 colors can translate into multiple looks.[/three_fourth]

[three_fourth]Wiles: What fabric and material blends can be expected?

Franco: The men’s fabrics are blends of cashmere and wools. The suits in this collection are a bit more tailored in fit with complimenting overcoats. The knits are slim but layered with a thickness to give the illusion of a holstered gun on the shoulders.

With women I stood by what I love which is dresses. I have more dresses in this collection, which I feel is what my clients look for. I did some women’s suiting to give that contrast of Masculine & Feminine to the collection again encapsulating the raw sex appeal that Helmut Newton captured with his camera lens.

I love beading and there is a lot of it! I layered the beading to give it a non-traditional gritty feel to it, looking like little rocks, hugging the frame of a woman’s body highlighting the sensuous curves. I also did layering with fabrics so there is texture and color depth with the use of the color palette I chose.

This is the first time I have just let the creative process flow without editing as I went along, allowing my thoughts to come to life naturally. That’s why I chose the particular editorial setting as opposed to viewing it on the runway, allowing the clothes to be viewed in a setting as the people who will be wearing them. [/three_fourth]

Get the look at anthonyfrancodesigns.com