Business community leader and active philanthropist Avi Oster has recently collaborated with fashion designer Catherine Fulmer to promote her new women’s fall line for 2011, Southern Crawl. An homage to the feminist rock iconography of the 1960s, the work also successfully melded with contemporary aesthetics. The evening saw a parade of A-listers down the red carpet and featured stunning musical performances.
Oster and Fulmer have a long history of working together on successful projects, starting with Oster’s financial and emotional support of Fulmer’s first line ever introduced, nearly a decade ago, in 2003. Speaking on the appeal of Southern Crawl, Oster described the work as, “cutting-edge, yet remarkably elegant, all Catherine Fulmer.” Of the evening itself he said, “She really got her vision across.”
Fulmer herself attributed much of the influence informing her artistic decisions to a recent trip through the Southern United States. Through the marriage of minimalism and bright colors, Fulmer felt as though she evoked, “the vibe, warmth, and music of the South.” She worked against the contrast of darker tones, adding, “The all-black, sad look is something I’m totally over.”
Held at New York’s Bowery Poetry Club, an esteemed literary and fashion performance venue, the premiere of Southern Crawl was also headlined by beloved area DJ Paul Sevigny, brother of actress Chloe, and up-and-coming soul singer Marla Joy, both of whom delivered stellar musical performances. Keeping with organizer Avi Oster’s belief in collaborative diversity, the room was filled with figures ranging from fashion and art to charity and film.
