Glam gams have been all the rage for a few seasons now. But this fall, a greater number of labels pushed the limits of legwear design — and “more is more” seems to be their mantra. “Who needs another pair of basics?” asked designer Jillian Lewis.
Her labor-intensive paneled tights were initially developed as a
costume for dance performers, and now they’re among the most popular
pieces in her fall collection. “They’ve been in such demand since the
presentation,” she says. At Cynthia Rowley, where a recent partnership
with the United Legwear Company has created a surge in hosiery
offerings, a pair of embellished fan-print tights were stunners on the
runway. “People talk of risk in this environment,” says Peter Arnold,
president at Cynthia Rowley, “but fashion offers an escape. There
always needs to be an element of fantasy.” And there certainly is in
hose. United Legwear is even producing a slick set of tights decorated
with heat-transferred nail heads for the company.