New York - September 21, 2005

Layering Is Cake

Lauren Felton Clothing

Take a moment to consider an unlikely fashion icon: the onion. Its beauty lies in its layers. (Just go with it. Fashion Week left us all a little loopy.)

You could say the same about Florida designer Lauren Felton’s fall clothing line, which is built around a series of thin, sheer layers of hand-dyed lace jersey. The pieces work alone but were designed to be layered, draped, peeled back, and folded over each other to reveal hidden details underneath, like cutouts that create negative space against the other garments (or your skin).

Felton, who studied 2-D drawing, uses seams, bindings, and darts to highlight the body’s contours and curves. The overall effect is akin to donning a diaphanous, delicate topographical map.

Wear the Crossing Dress with dolman sleeves over the Dinner Shirt in beige with red piping, and top it off with the Petal Vest. Then experiment: roll up a sleeve, reveal a shoulder, unbutton the vest. With every new combination, your clothes  are telling a different story.

At risk of indulging in fashionese, it’s almost enough to make you teary-eyed. 

Available at La di Da, 147 Orchard Street, between Stanton and Rivington Streets (212-529-7384). To see styles, go to laurenfelton.com.