Dennis Lustico has always been about drama. Each piece he makes has a story to tell, usually one with a strong woman or mythical figure behind it. In the past his designs were bold, crisp and almost fantastic, from origami shapes that dare the body’s contours to facile pieces of cloth stitched together to create a seamless cartoon for the senses. Today, he’s decidedly more operatic – his collection for Metrowear was hailed by most as one of the best in show. A consistent collection of stunning stretch fabrics, ordinarily used in leisurewear, all cut in similar silhouettes, varying in how the pieces of fabric are stitched together, creating a sea of possibilities. That element is all that mattered.
When he fit me for the main dress for Metrowear, his annual birthday couture present for me two months before the show, he was slightly hesitant. He was not sure whether he was going too far in terms of eveningwear. That’s the beauty of Dennis: his boldness is born out of something thoughtful. His mental caucus is something that does not censor his talent, rather it defines over and over again what good taste is. That’s why no matter how outrageous his designs are, they always manage to makes sense.
I always kid him about the year when he will have a retrospective. That won’t be happening until I have grandchildren, but he’s certainly had more reinventions than Madonna. Here’s our version from the acidic depths of our imaginations produced by the wizards from Everywhere We Shoot.
In the last few years he’s been in the spotlight, Dennis’ range has moved from cutting edge to almost demure. Yet, it retains the same youthful and progressive air that he’s known for. With his hands all over the place with retail giant Bench as head designer for their line Kashieca and a luxury travel line with Essenses (a must have) along with Jojie Lloren, Dennis has made the successful leap from being a designer with an aspirational aesthetic to one with a functional key.
Here are looks of Dennis through the years. Allow me to enumerate, as no one knows his Blonde Ambition tour more than I do.
Dennis used natural fibers to create surreal textures and colors from nature to amped-up drama. Genius.
His first phase, and the one that got people’s attention. Granted it was often hard to wear, but the concept woke up the fashion industry and encouraged many fashionistas to socialize in one position all night long. It was worth it."Being avant-garde, I guess, is an instinctive direction taken by generally almost all young designers. It’s one definite way of motivating interest from fashion observers. As one reaches the point in which he deals with different personalities, body structures, tastes, moods and aesthetics, he realizes the true essence of fashion design, which is all about three things: women, beauty and sensuality," Dennis observes.
Dennis floated through the mythical period of Aphrodite with streams of silken cloth that glided with the body. He experimented with both short and flowing hemlines, which inspired many to freak with the Greek.
Dennis has always loved strong women. Here he celebrated them. He went through a period using vibrant colors, almost Kool-Aid-like, curiously following after his organic phase.
The debutante phase
He made sorority girls the new underground darlings with his acidic touch on sweet.
Yes, Dennis went through a phase that involved rosettes. Even that, he managed to make into something cool.