The Story of Eastern Exodus to the West

Fall Winter 2014-15

By Marcellous L. Jones,

April 1, 2014

Paris, France – Polish designer Gosia Baczynska decided to tell the story of Eastern Europeans leaving behind their homes and all they knew as they migrated to Western Europe. In her Fall Winter 2014/15 collection, she recounts their experiences through a story that begins with black, the symbol of their difficult adventure. Then the collection becomes progressively and dramatically brighter, which symbolizes the brighter hopes for a better future of those involved in the mass exodus.

Baczynska created compelling looks such as a two-piece ensemble in black wool with designs created through the removal of fabric panels. She adds in jumpsuits with ample volume in the legs. She follows it with a black leather sleeveless gown with open back and semi fish-train. She always manages to show hints of the skin through the use of splits or through the removal of one-centimeter wide slits on the arms.

At one point in the collection, we move from neutral tones to brilliant colors. Stripes in metallic silk brocade appear in the trousers and are used to compose one of the designer’s dresses.

Baczynska created a beautiful story that pulls you into it. However, many of the looks have an amateurish appearance. This is most unfortunate as this results in the collection being reduced to what some commented on as “a student collection”.