A shot from The Deco Collection runway show SS12 of model Valerie wearing The Edna swimsuit—two of my all time faves. 

A water-friendly velvet, the fabric was luxe but not too over the top. Perfect for an upscale pool party or sunset sail, yet still high-performance enough to dive in without hesitation. I call that “plunge perfect” and can’t wait to design in water-friendly velvet again. Seen here in Garnet, the color is absolutely to die for IRL.

On show day, Valerie was the first to arrive, the last to leave and over-delivered every minute in between. She was new to the business and it might have been her first ever runway gig, though no one would have guessed it. I cast her with Carole Lombard in mind and so asked that she channel the Jazz Age siren down the catwalk, but her blank stare suggested she knew nothing of the actress. In the end she did so flawlessly, convincing me the ask had been heavily researched prior to show day. A call to grandma, maybe? I’ll never know.

Magnificent model, magnificent fabric, magnificent show. Such a magnificent day!