Escada delivers spring preview

Nadine Kam photos
Kate Schuette in one of Escada's Reflection print ensembles for spring/ summer 2011. The dress is also shown without the jacket, below, with its agate-and-stone halter, meaning its wearer won't have to scramble to find jewelry.

Escada, Ala Moana Center, hosted a trunk show Dec. 10, with an informal lunch presentation of its new resort collection and sneak preview of its spring/summer 2011 ready-to-wear collections, inspired by the global sojourner, with several beautiful prints and colors reminiscent of the Africa, from watering holes to savannahs; the pink, red, violet and black hues of a volcanic sky; the kimono and obi traditions of Japan; and the work of Spanish Catalan architect Antoni Gaudi.

The brand has never looked younger or more vibrant, light and breezy, without forgetting the sophistication or classic tastes of its current customer. New drawstring Bermuda shorts have a comfortable ease that can be easily dressed up or down to suit any adventure that awaits its wearer.

Escada's regional director of stores for West Coast, Bora Song, and West Coast visual manager, Alfred Movsessian, brought the collections to Hawaii, and throughout the presentations, Bora put on many of the pieces to show how they worked, not just on tall models, but on Asian shorties as well.

You can check out Escada's official video here.

Deanna Elerick in a Monet print gown with origami-style bodice.

The Safari print was one of my favorites, and I also loved the asymmetry of this dress.

A leather tunic worn with a drawstring Bermuda short. The jewelry piece at the neckline is of metal and leather, and is detachable if you're sending the piece to the dry cleaners or want to get another look out of it. Styling options include dressing down with denim, or layering the tunic over a turtleneck sweater when traveling to colder regions.

An Antoni Gaudi-inspired metallic dress. Escada's new shoe collection, also below, is also getting a lot of attention from international media, for obvious reason!

This sequin dress was a hit because of its reversible quality. Brushing the sequins up revealed a lighter, brightly colored pattern underneath, that many people had to try themselves. I didn't ask Kate how she felt about people brushing their hands up and down her stomach! Conceivably, if you turn all the sequins, you'd get a whole new dress. More of the white pattern is revealed below.

Presenting the collection in Honolulu were, from left, regional director of stores for West Coast Bora Song, West Coast visual manager Alfred Movsessian, and Escada Ala Moana store manager Jane Moon.

Lunch included curried egg, bell pepper, and ham and bacon sandwiches with grilled pearl onions and petite yellow potatoes.

You won't have to be responsible for tying this obi-style belt. It's made to look finished, with an easy snap closure.

Courtney Arndt was back in town for the show, wearing a dress in the Safari print.

Karen Vance shows a cutout jacket that changes character with what you choose to wear underneath it. In this case, a poncho doubles as a dress.