Collections presented at the studio are usually a hit or miss.  The more intimate space gives the audience a closer look at the pieces, but at the same time, the lack of tiered seating made it difficult for anyone not in the front row or in an aisle seat to see the looks properly – especially with the black-dominated fall/winter looks.  Unlike other designers, however, Sarah Stevenson’s collection had a bit more colour (though dark shade), with a big focus on purple.  Utilizing her signature patterned designs, she actually gave the collection less of a cold-weather feel.  The models, styled with old fashioned Hollywood starlet hair gave the collection a bit of an old-fashioned, glamorous feel.

With dresses ranging from knee to floor length as well as a few separates, many of the looks are extremely wearable, whether it be  for the office or going out with friends.   One of our favourites was a classic black wool shawl coat, paired with pants for this show.  Other favourites include a 3/4 sleeve, purple marble-patterned dress as well as the twill high-waisted “tuck pants” (worn untucked at the show).  Other pieces, such as the bustier dress and a tea-length strapless dress, did not accentuate the models’ figures very much.

The set-up of the show was also different from other studio presentations.  With seating towards one side, rather than both and blocks on the other side for models to stand after they walked, it was much easier for the audience to see the pieces in better detail – a good thing for those in the media who may have missed things when the models are walking.  It would have been better, however, if the studio had a lighter backdrop – it would have made the collection (or any collection in the studio, for that matter), pop better.  It is a fall/winter collection, after all.