Fashion Design Teams Race to Finish Fashion Week Presentations

By: Arlene Borenstein Text size: +-

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Designers are working this Labor Day as New York's fashion week quickly approaches. One local designer gave us a preview of what his team is showing this season. NY1's Arlene Borenstein filed the following report.

Fashion designer Bibhu Mohapatra isn't being revealing about his 2015 spring line.'It's going to be a very refreshing collection,' Mohapatra says.We did capture a few clues, as the Indian-born fashion designer guided our cameras through his Midtown studio, where his team is on overdrive.

Staying on top of a heavy workload, as fashion week approaches.

This season, the Fashion Institute of Technology grad says his inspiration is based on the life of Nancy Cunard, a British heiress whose social and cultural influence was both loved and hated while she lived in New York City.

'She was a social activist that made a difference in her own way. In the process, she also inspired a lot of artists,' says Mohapatra.

Cunard fought for women's rights and against racism while living in Harlem during its renaissance.

She's also known for her unmatched sense of style.

Bibhu's new line is a modern take on what Cunard might wear today.

'I knew she dressed in leather at a time when women didn't wear leather. She was very cool and ahead of her time,' Mohapatra says.Though Cunard is what you can expect to see for this year's runway show, you can also expect to see Bibhu's architectual silhouettes and pops of color.

'Very modern and romantic at the same time,' Mohapatra says.

Looks will include a number of pastels alongside the designers distinctive embroidery.'Many designers just choose from what the embroidery houses have to offer or what the print houses have to offer, but he develops his own,' says Senior Pattern Maker Gail Gondek.

The designer says almost all his pieces are made in New York which helps him keep a close eye on production.

'It's actually a great opportunity to produce everything right around three city blocks,' Mohapatra says.

It's also in close proximity to the Lincoln Center, where his line debuts September 10.