At the show, my view was constantly obscured by one iPhone or another because enthusiastic show-goers couldn't resist snapping photos and capturing slow-mo video of the dresses moving past — and I couldn't blame them. I found myself falling for the ornate dresses inspired by Edwardian painter John Singer Sargent. Some looks, like a gown with gold embroidered tulle flutter sleeves and high neck embellishments, recalled an early "Downton Abby" Lady Mary, if she wanted to devour all the men at the ball and piss off Lady Edith even more than usual. The silhouettes veered into other decades, too, including a gunmetal beaded flapper fringed dress with a sumptuously bejeweled layered neckline, and a '30s-style gold liquid lamé number with beaded lace sleeves. The ballgowns were exquisite in detail: cascading silk organza, flouncy fringe and feathering, hand-beaded 3-D florals and near-blinding jewel embellishments on the front and back of the dress. Definitely 360-degree camera ready.
The next step, of course, is imagining which starlet you'll be seeing in each gown at the coming award shows. Click through the slideshow below for the full collection.
