Spring 2018 Ready-To-Wear Tosia.....Fashionweekly...On Fow24news.com

Tosia designer Sara Hankin did this summer, is that staring across the expanse of the Painted Desert or down into the hollows of the Grand Canyon reassures you that the world will be just fine, with or without us. ....And one of the salutary things about talking to Hankin about her new collection was that it reminded you that you can always do something—even if the gesture is as small as Hankin’s commitment to cutting down waste by reusing old materials. Maybe that won’t stave off the apocalypse, but there will be some lovely Fortuny pleated dresses and separates to wear in the meantime.

Hankin’s pleated looks, made from fabrics she has used before, represented a good part of this well-edited, Americana-inspired collection. If a slinky pleated dress in navy doesn’t strike you as particularly homespun, there was no mistaking the prairie girl vibe of the outing’s denim or gingham check, materials Hankin interpreted in nicely natty ways. Though the edges of her indigo denim skirt were raw, the graceful asymmetric flounce provided a sense of elevation. The same went for the Tosia-signature bustier cups that she cut into gingham tops and a bleached denim sundress. This collection wasn’t groundbreaking, but the looks were well judged, and Hankin applied a similar sense of measure in the way she dosed out her Americana homage. The reference deferred to the Tosia aesthetic. And in an understated way, the pleated pieces, produced as they were from upcycled fabrics, could be read as the most patriotic of all. In look and in make, they were hopeful.