Summer/Fall 2000 Fashion	>>> Return to Back Issue Index

	AS EVERYONE FROM Puff Daddy and Missy "Misdemeanor" Elliot to Britney Spears and The Backstreet Boys knows, Francis Hendy is one designer whose clothes are as watchable as they are wearable. Favored by dozens of stars and top stylists, Hendy's designs aim to express his fashion vision of "freedom, adventure and individuality," a vision that now includes Ultrasuede®. "Ultrasuede has a magnificent feel," Hendy says, "and, even more important, it puts no restrictions on my creativity." A former soccer player who started designing clothes while recovering from an injury, the Trinidad-born designer first attracted notice as a fashion visionary when his clothes began to pop up in R&B and hip-hop videos. In 1997 Hendy threw his hat into the ready-to-wear market, producing a designer sportswear collection for men. Hendy now has three seasons under his belt and looks forward with great anticipation to the upcoming Spring 2000 Collection. "I'm happiest when I'm designing clothes with leather and suede," Hendy confesses. "And Ultrasuede inspires me because of its smooth texture, light weight and clean but raw edges." Further, the designer notes, Ultrasuede® allows a degree of functionality animal hides can't approach. Besides being comfortable to wear under the hottest stage lights, Ultrasuede® can be cut to caress a performer's body, not confine it. And, unlike animal leather or suede, Ultrasuede® is spot-cleanable, even machine-washable, making it one fabric that stands up to the sweatiest, wildest acts in the music industry today. All of which makes hard-wearing Ultrasuede® Francis Hendy's idea of a perfect fabric for musicians on tour - or for fans who want to stay looking stylish for years to come.	Hendy debuts his Ultrasuede® vision with this ultra-wearable jacket and pants combination.   Hendy's new body-hugging Ultrasuede® creations are soft and comfortable enough to be worn all by themselves.

	From swimwear to lay in stock for next summer to garments you can wear right now, this edition's Virtual Tour proves that Ultrasuede® generates fashion heat all year long. Click the picture at right to begin.

	EVERY DESIGNER who uses Ultrasuede® brings something new to the fabric, but, in recent seasons as in the past, one "trend" is seen again and again: Ultrasuede® is an inspired way to take luxury into new dimensions.
	Anne Bowen: Even Stars Want Gowns They Can Wear More Than Once "Ultrasuede was a real surprise," says designer Anne Bowen. "Real suede has many perils. If you wear it once and it gets dirty, it's all over." Since discovering Ultrasuede®, Bowen has designed garments for her Fall/Holiday 2000 collection and one-of-a-kind gowns for fashion-conscious stars like Oksana Bibay ("Irina" on HBO's "The Sopranos") and, most notably, Gina Tognoni, the fiery Kelly Kramer on daytime TV's "One Life to Live." Tognoni wore Bowen's daringly cut halter gown to the most recent Daytime Emmys awards broadcast. "The dress is very architectural," notes Bowen. Ultrasuede® in a burnt sienna shade is cut to reveal most of the midriff and then accessorized with jeweled strands of faceted crystal and turquoise nuggets. The result, as Bowen points out, is "a look for a very confident, very sensual woman."		Anne Bowen
	Kathlin Argiro: Hand-Beaded French Lace, Stretch Plastic . and Ultrasuede® When Kathlin Argiro, formerly associated with Carmen Marc Valvo and Arnold Scaasi and best-known for her designer/bridge evening wear collection, decided to debut her first major collection of couture evening wear, she selected Ultrasuede® for one of her keynote designs. "Clarissa," a winged gown in bisque Ultrasuede® worn with a loden laser-cut felt apron, was one of eleven gowns in a collection that ranged from "Earth Goddess" looks to "Elegant" and "Techno" creations. Like many up-and-coming designers, Argiro delights in lavishing exquisite touches like hand-beaded French lace on garments that also include once-humble materials like stretch plastic. And Ultrasuede® is one fabric that is at home with both of these elements: Ultrasuede® bridges the gap between "engineered" functionality and classic luxury.		Kathlin Argiro
	Jon Berry: Biased Toward Originality Designer Jon Berry has worked with Ultrasuede® long enough to make some original discoveries. In the gown shown at right, he not only uses eloquent bias cuts to emphasize the flowing drapability of the fabric, he also reverses the nap at the seams. As a result, this gown catches the light in contrasting directions, adding a mysterious shimmer that romantically complements the silhouette.		Jon Berry
	Craig Natiello: Halston Luxury Reinterpreted Craig Natiello's designs for Halston have reenergized a venerable couture name. Like Halston before him, Natiello is drawn to the carefree practicality of Ultrasuede®, even in designs, such as the magnificent chamois floor-length evening gown on view at right, where "practicality" seems hardly the point.		Halston

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©2001 Toray Ultrasuede (America), Inc.