As the lights dimmed in The Salon at Lincoln Center, alluring operatic vocals filled the room, preparing the audience for Zang Toi’s Fall/Winter 2015 Collection, “Mystique Beauty of Venice.” Among the fashion elite sitting in the front row was Ms. USA, Nia Sanchez.

The collection consisted of 33 looks, as well as an opening and show-stopping Grand Finale look. It was evident early on that the line was for an elegant trendsetter, an individual who evoked a mysterious edge in both her personal and business lifestyle. In Look #6, Toi wowed audiences with a brown handloomed cashmere and silk tweed jacket over an identically patterned mini sheath dress. All models were styled with pulled back, full, low buns and simplistic lined lips.

As Look #16 approached, lights dimmed once again, as a new set of designs prepared to grace the runway. In Look #19, a black silk ballgown, with hand-embroidered Chenille and Bullion Venetian arches, summoned a grand applause from the audience. Staying true to his inclusion of male models in his previous collections, Toi included two male looks into this collection. Setting the stage for the Grand Finale look that brought the entire venue to a standing ovation, a male model clad in a tailored velvet suit and a Venetian feather mask drifted down the runway.

As the final model ascended down the runway, jaws dropped at sight of the taupe silk diamond cape that outlined the Venetian skyline. Paired over a fitted black strapless dress, the beaded sequins radiated down the runway, transporting the audience to Venice, Italy. This look perfectly encompassed the sophisticated allure of collection. The presentation brought a romantic mystique, as the masked male model and radiant grand finale model walked hand and hand concluding the show.

Toi’s collection allowed the audience to take a break from their chaotic New York lives and step into a venue of European glamour and seduction.

Email Cashman Aiu at [email protected]