The St. John Fall 2012 Collection during Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York was held on February 10, 2012, at the Ukrainian Institute of America on the Upper East Side.  The venue was poised for the debut of the George Sharp’s latest and greatest inspirations.  I had a brief but informative interview with the creative designer backstage just moments before the runway show was about to begin.

“Our inspiration was Loulou de la Falaise.  She was a fashion icon, and whatever she threw on, she looked like the best-dressed person in the room.  She did everything from Bohemian to French to military.  She could pull anything off with her confidence and her natural style.” —St. John Designer George Sharp

I followed the St. John line for several seasons.  It has always been a very seamless collection, simple but classic.  In those shows that I saw, there were always one to two colors on the runway that stood out.  I inquired, “What can we see for color for fall’s line?”

“For color you will see a lot of red on the runway.  In the line we have lots of beautiful sapphire blues and greens, but the message we want to put out of course is about the ease of sportswear.  There is this great use of a pop of red, a pop of leopard to spice things up a little I guess.” —St. John Designer George Sharp

The collection was a stunning array of reds, animal prints, scarves, and even faux chinchilla.  The wide-legged pants, elbow-high leather gloves, and sunglasses were nice looks, which were representative of Sharp’s muse and carefree socialite Loulou de la Falaise.  The surprise for me was the faux fur!  As I conversed with a marketing representative prior to the show, she informed me of how the luxury brand was transitioning into a more sustainable realm, especially when it comes to textiles.  To round off this collection, Sharp maintained his usual high class for the line by including a freeform, pocketed V-neck red satin gown and similar gowns clinging to a woman’s body, both celebrating curves and a demure demeanor.  The St. John Fall 2012 Collection is dripping with class with its stylish accessories, old Hollywood hairdos, and tasteful accents.   This collection continues to maintain its superior craftsmanship while showing off a new attitude!

Check out the Fall 2012 Collection of St. John, photographed by Arun Nevader. (Not viewable in IE.)