Barbara Tfank looked to a different kind of star this season. Following last Spring's tribute to Elizabeth Taylor, the designer found inspiration in the aurora borealis. Images of the northern lights provided the perfect palette for the former costume designer, who says she loves to use "color that exists in nature." Cases in point: an emerald green silk taffeta dress with classic shirtsleeves and corseting detail and a full-skirted number in an abstract floral print done in acid yellow and raspberry pink.
"I look at all of the brilliant things that have been done in the past and I bring them to the present," said Tfank, describing her design ethos. "It's not retro, it's intelligent." As a strategy, it's proven quite effective. First Lady Michelle Obama chose a cobalt blue Tfank creation for the State of the Union ceremony in January and the designer has worked with Adele since she was 18 years old, years before she picked up her pile of Grammys. This season's nod to the younger ladies came in the form of playful dresses decorated in Schiaparelli butterflies and silver daisies. We bet the Fanning sisters would be down to wear either one.
