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The Lela Rose Fall 2013 runway show at New York’s Mercedez-Benz Fashion Week stunned a packed audience with pieces that managed to combine whimsy and class.

The collection was inspired by Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, but the whimsicality never brought the pieces to the point of being ostentatious, as is often the case for many designers. Instead, the pieces’ strong cut lines combined with the fairy tale inspiration translated the collection into wearable pieces that would make any woman feel confident and sophisticated.

Although all of the pieces in the Lela Rose Fall 2013 collection were incredibly stunning and well cut, the collection as a whole was not cohesive. Some pieces clearly belonged together, though those pieces did not fit well with the rest of the collection. For example, shiny yellow and beige silk pieces with black flower overlay were followed by black feather-patterned embroidery mess over grey dresses, then a vivid fuchsia folded dress and a sapphire top with a crystal beaded necklace sewn into the collar.

A standout piece was a white mini dress adorned with white Swarovski crystals and white overlay with a teased white feather bottom and cutout back. Lela Rose is famous for her bridal wear, and this white dress could easily have been on the runway or on a young bride wanting to wear her fairy tale dress.

Despite the lack of cohesion in the show’s individual pieces, it was clear that the entire show was somehow tied to notions of playful darkness, magic, and charm. For example, the pounding music’s matched the cadence of each model’s strut, which added to the audience’s feeling that they were witnessing something magical. It would be safe to say everyone walked away from the show as a bit more of a dreamer.

Sarah Kamenetz is a staff writer. Email her at [email protected].