A.W.A.K.E. designer Natalia Alaverdian has kept a relatively low profile since launching her London-based brand. This season, though, the semi-Muscovite designer had her coming-out party: Pal Miroslava Duma and her publication, Buro 24/7, threw a big ol' soiree in Paris for A.W.A.K.E.; Kim Kardashian West was one cohost, Caroline de Maigret was another. Natalia Vodianova turned up. So: Does Alaverdian's latest collection stand up to the spotlight? If you're on board with the A.W.A.K.E. sensibility, then yes. Alaverdian's thing is to take an animal reference—this season, the dragonfly—and extrapolate it in ways that are so baldly literal, her clothes come in nipping distance of the surreal. There's also a good deal of froth in the A.W.A.K.E. aesthetic, and it was poured on liberally here, as Alaverdian added Japanese kawaii culture and '60s-era girlishness to her inspiration mix. All of which sounds pretty insufferable, but it was hard to resist the charm of Alaverdian's dragonfly-print skinny suit, or the scribbled-on trousers with legs so wide they were redolent of wings. Alaverdian was also up to something interesting with her metallic jacquards covered in sheer organdy, though plain metallic pieces, like the nice sparkly jackets, will probably be a bigger hit on the sales floor. Her yellow lace baby doll and long shirtdresses, meanwhile, made you re-evaluate the style factor of The Lawrence Welk Show. (For those born after 1977: Look it up.)
At the party in Paris, Alaverdian gave the world a preview of one of this collection's standout looks, a white lace drop-waist dress with a ruffled collar and metal dragonfly jewelry at the throat. Alaverdian is something of a waif, but almost any woman could wear that look, given the easy shape. And that's one of the most appealing things about Alaverdian and the quality that gives her quirky brand traction: She really does cut clothes for all kinds of bodies, and she's good about varying her silhouettes. Now it won't go unnoticed.
