Black, White, or is it Gray...

On Friday August 22, 2008, Borris Powell ticket holders sipped their drinks and glanced down at their tickets to read, “A Story will be told…”. The phrase not only appeared on the tickets, but went on to encompass the entire atmosphere of the night. Powell excitingly introduced his 2008/2009 winter collection at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. The show titled “Black, White, or is it Gray?” unveiled an array of flowing gowns and beautiful, military-collared coats. All the designs were draped in hues of black, white, and gray except for the few done in a striking red. These red pieces popped, and apparently caught the audience’s attention because the bold color was all anybody could talk about after the show. Over cocktails, Powell graciously made himself available to all his fans and shared insight into his background and fashion inspirations.

In a quick interview and meeting with the designer, Borris Powell described himself as a self-taught designer from Alabama who had been in Chicago for about 11 years now. Powell was still bursting with joy from the success of his show and colorfully illustrated how all his designs are inspired by his mother. Powell explained that he used to love dressing his mother as a kid of about 10 years old and would study the silhouette and feel of everything she would wear. His mother’s inspiration continued into this very show, when he made clear that he only put bursts of red into a few special designs for his mother. When asked what type of woman or occasion he designs for, Powell responded, “I design for every woman, to feel her best and most beautiful.”

This is surely a great beginning for the dedicated designer.
www.borrispowell.com
-Jackie Medler

photos by Angelo Kritikos