The Point of LaPointe

As designer Sally LaPointe 06 AP scrambles to finalize her Spring 2014 collection, The New York Times ran a great story in its Countdown to Fashion Week series. Titled Thank the Deli for That Dress, the Times story focuses on the inspiration the New York-based designer found by buying flowers at her corner deli and leaving the bouquets in their cellophane wrappers, documenting the process of decay via daily photographs.

Though Style.com has called her “a high priestess of goth opulence” and Lady Gaga helped strengthen her reputation for “somber lyricism,” LaPointe’s latest collection is shaping up to be lighter and more about color and texture – even if her notion of floral focuses on decay and evanescence rather than budding optimism.

The Times story points out that RISD “brought out the tougher, more structured side of [LaPointe’s] aesthetic” and that given the exaggerated geometry and signature somber palette, her designs “have been called aggressive.”

“But I’m O.K. with that,” LaPointe told the Times. “It’s an extension of a part of myself…. I don’t like anything that’s vulgar, showy, too fussy or difficult to wear. My style is a lot about what isn’t there.”

Check out the accompanying New York Times video interview for more.