Asthon Michael Black Label Takes a Trip on the Dark Side And Gets Eco Friendly for spring 2011

As soon as I stepped backstage at the Ashton Michael Black Label show and saw a clone of models sporting pitch black Smokey-eye Goth makeup, I knew Ashton Michael wasn’t sticking to the conventional script for his spring 2011 collection.

“Ashton’s collection is very architectural and very intricate, so we wanted the makeup to be very raw,” James Vincent, the director of Education and Artist Relations for the Makeup Show NYC, revealed to me backstage as he feverishly applied black eye makeup to a pale canvas. “The collection was heavily inspired by the London rock and roll scene so there is a dirty sexiness to it.”

Dirty sexy was definitely the right way to describe the collection. As LA based fashion designer, Ashton Hirota, quickly bounced back and froth, tending to the model’s fittings, I snuck a peak and quickly leafed through the rack. To my amazement, I beheld an entire collection encased in ‘black and white;’ although simple in color, was full of magical construction and composition.

Ripped jackets with dramatic cuts, added a futuristic feel for anyone longing to take a trip on the dark side, as well as hollow shirts and hoodies, added an elusive, yet grunge feel. At a first glance, the collection looked very unisex. I also noticed that the collection stuck to the separates trend, as this spring seems to apparently be all about inter-mixing the perfect top and bottom.

“The entire collection is filled with separates,” Ashton professed. “All of the pieces are unisex, both male and female; doesn’t matter, they’re just clothes. As you can see, it’s all very consistent,” he said, as he held up a matrix styled black jacket with matching pants. “I wanted to articulate a bondage kind of feel. I was all about creating wearable clothing that had a little bit edgy.”

What I found most appealing about the collection was the fact that it was completed in six weeks, and was hand crafted from recycled PET, bamboo, coconut, and cotton. As soon as the collection hit the runway, the applause was deafening. Ashton delivered an enthralling Eco-conscious collection, although simplistic in color, was far from simplistic in architecture, edgy in feel, all the while paying homage to nature in its earthly form.