Feisty, radical and rich with culture: Eshi Otawara's upcoming Collection

Posted by Bettina Tizzy

If Akira Kurosawa were alive today, I do believe he'd hire Eshi Otawara to costume his next film. I am also quite certain that Yves Saint Laurent would have swooned at the sight of her next Collection. At least Lagerfeld is still around but he'd better hurry up or maybe Galanos will snatch her up.

One year ago, Eshi’s much celebrated fishhook dress caused such a prodigious pandemonium on the grid that a cult following sprung from it. Seven months later, that same dress - in a black Limited Edition - sold at auction for $460,000L.

This Saturday at 1pm SLT, Eshi will present her Winter/Spring Collection, featuring the first Limited Edition dress under her new Eshi Otawara label, but like everything that has to do with Eshi, that’s not half of the story. It just seems to me that everything she does… even the most mundane things, are standouts.

Allow me to illustrate what I mean… Early last month, I TP’ed Eshi into the shop of a well-known and successful clothing designer to show her a hat I’d been chatting about in IM. We were both quite surprised to find ourselves alone in the mega emporium, which is usually swarming with shoppers.

Right then and there and much to my utter thrill and horror, Eshi donned the KABUKI dress she’d been working on... This is THE dress that will have a limited release: five copies only and each will be sold for $50,000L.

Well, she could have knocked me over with a feather; I’d have thrown a sheet over her if it had been physically possible. I was simply horrified with the possibility that someone might teleport in and see it before its proper unveiling. I was thrilled because the dress was unlike anything I’d ever seen in my real or virtual life, and it was so very appealing. I mean, it can be done in Real Life, but I don’t think it has. And the accessories! It is the sort of garment you’d expect of one of the fashion greats: super inventive and beautifully realized… and smart! And sensual.

Of course, I did the only thing any reasonable woman would do under similar circumstances. I promptly begged her to allow me to be a model at the show where this thing of beauty would be released in the wild.

Lucky for me and unfortunately for her, she accepted, so there I’ll be this Saturday, most assuredly making a fool of myself, but the reward will be as rich as a chocolate mousse, hehe. Wild horses will not be able to tear her Collection from my avatar body.

Oh… Eshi did give me a photograph of this dress, but I’ve elected not to publish it. It’s a great pic, but it still doesn’t do the outfit justice. You’ll simply have to be there to see this and the other extraordinary fashions – even for Eshi! - for yourself. I'll give you a couple of hints though. Think Japanese. Think punk.

BOSL Theatre - Saturday, December 13, 2008; 1pm SLT
Teleport to the East Entrance from here; teleport to the West Entrance from here.