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The Fashion Angel Awards Emerging Designer Show kicked off with Phong Hong’s aptly named collection, Femme Noir. After reading his bio, I was a little concerned. With his roots in graphic design, Hong’s resume included stints for Ed Hardy and fans including someone from Paris Hilton’s My New BFF (Season 2, if you care. Yea, neither do I). Here’s the thing… Even if you did work at Ed Hardy, don’t tell anyone! Seriously, just cash the check and keep on walking.

But luckily for Hong, as the lights went up and the first feminine look floated down the runway, I forgot all about tiger tattoos and reality tv stars. The first half of the show was a cohesive collection of dreamy dresses in a nude and pale pink palette that makes you want to eat cupcakes and coyly bat flirty eyelashes. Well-crafted variations of feminine silk chiffon mini-dresses with just enough of a darkside to feel hip and fresh. Standout details include a cap sleeve sheath with raw-edge ruffles made to look like feathers, floaty silk tulip leaves with black straps and an edgy exposed back zipper and most successfully a fitted sweetheart bodice with a short, but volumonous skirt composed of delicate raw-edge silk rosesettes finished with a black satin belt.

The second half of the show wasnt as memorable, with a minor fit problem here or there, but showed some interesting techniques of fabric manipulation. All in all, Hong’s debut successfully translated his vision of the Femme Noir, and blissfully, not a tiger tattoo in sight. Keep on walking, Hong, keep on walking.

Phong Hong's Femme Fatales