Barbara Tfank Spring 2018 Ready-To-Wear....Fashionweekly...On Fow24news.com

Other designers may have abandoned formality, but Barbara Tfank intends to keep the glamour going. Staging her latest collection at tony East Side furniture gallery Maison Gerard alongside André Arbus armoires and Jacques Adnet cabinets, Tfank positioned her Spring offerings as objets d’art, a wise choice given their intricacy.....
Tfank’s love of textiles saw her utilizing one embellished fabric after another, with shimmering brocade adorning split bodice dresses and full skirts, and textured lamé making its way onto decadent gowns. Jacquard, long a Tfank signature, proved ideal for ’60s-style collarless coats and crop tops worn with prim skirts.

The pieces intentionally harked back to a bygone era: Tfank’s mood board was filled with portraits of Duchess Violante Beatrice of Bavaria and Il Babuino. While a recent trip to Italy informed several details, the look was quintessentially American, the kind of style that used to be synonymous with First Ladies and anyone whose wardrobe included an opera coat. With fashion currently dominated by athleisure and celebrity collections, the formal dressing options Tfank presented felt refreshing. Granted, embellished caftans and cap sleeve gowns resonate most with a specific type of woman, but odds are those items remain wearable long after the latest It sweatshirt has been put out to pasture.