Esprit 101

After I had a look through "Brand" magazine, I went to Taipei 101 for one show in their Fashion Week: the Esprit Autumn/Winter 2005 show.
With the bare branches of a winter tree as backdrop, the models showed three collections. As Esprit Taiwan general manager Roxanne Chiu told the crowd, the clothes showed a mix of Asian ethnic flavor and European retro fashions.
Orange and purple were the most remarkable common threads in the three collections.
The male models were in the minority, but that was really no surprise. They mainly showed off jeans trousers and loose wrinkly jackets. A purple T with a cap broke the monotony.
The real fireworks were reserved for the women, and they shone in a wide variety of items, from a loose yellow off-the-shoulder pullover, to purple stockings, to orange jackets, silky beige blouses, a blue sleeveless eskimo vest, and long woollen scarves.
My favorites were the skirts and blouses least reminding of winter: the rich, warm orange-tinged items decorated with the glittering floral designs that seem to be taken from an Indian palace. A purple blouse with shiny red and blue flowers, and a light mauve woollen jacket held together in the front by only two buttons were especially charming items. The earthy hues based on inspiration from India were taken to near perfection by a brown skirt with rich silver patterns.
So much for the only show that I'll be able to attend at Taipei 101's Fashion Week. Even though Esprit is usually not mentioned in the same company as Loewe or Etro, it nevertheless showed that even a more mass-market brand can supply imaginative and beautiful items of clothing.