Introducing... Anna Kaarina

Decayed Innocence
Imagine walking into an attic, lit only by candlelight, and discovering amongst the cobwebs and dust, some of the most gorgeous fashion creations you have ever seen... This is the Graduate Collection of Anna Kaarina Lake, a close friend of mine.

Anna Kaarina's mind works like a true artist's. She is uninhibited by the challenges of creating her unique visions of beauty, energized by the fear of not getting it "just right", and she works tirelessly, sometimes for days without sleep, in her in-house studio in the suburbs of Philadelphia. Never does Anna Kaarina simply choose a fabric off the shelf. She purchases textiles and trims of the most suburb quality and manipulates them into completely original one-off, couture-level pieces. These are dresses that could never be replicated by anyone else, possibly even herself. They truly have a life and spirit of their own.

Layers of tattered gauze and peek-a-boo lace marry together into a surreal island gown, supported underneath by custom-fit corsetry. Yards and Yards of fringe trim drape effortlessly into a mermaid gown, sprinkled and sparkled with Swarovski beading.

It was no surprise to me, after endless hours of conversation about the heart and guts of her collection, that her felted wool gown with an open back won the coveted title of Best in Show at last weekend's Drexel showcase.

Best in Show

Anna Kaarina was also awarded the Most Salable Graduate Collection by Destination Maternity. While she cites the late Alexander McQueen as influential, her work is unlike anything else on the fashion show circuit. She also looks to the Costume Design of Colleen Atwood (you'll remember her dream-like creations from the wardrobe in Tim Burton's Alice In Wonderland) for inspiration. Please join me in congratulating her, not only on her awards, but on her moment of arrival. She has waited years to watch her dream realized, and as she celebrates with her family in Disney World this week, her dream has finally come true. It is with the utmost sincerity that I say, a star is born.

Photographs by Jeff Cohn