Jason Wu Fall 2010 Collection Pays Homage to American Artist, Robert Ryman

In the art world, contemporary American artist Robert Ryman is revered for his use of mix-media, the fashion community can say the same for the impressionable Jason Wu. The two worlds paid their respects in a special one-night only event as part of the After 5 series at The Phillips Collection.

Great minds think a like. The museum partnered with Neiman Marcus and Project Beltway’s Rachel Cothran to illustrate the relationship between art and fashion, proving a visual sensation for the patrons and its subject.

Ryman’s Variations and Improvisations exhibit currently on display at The Phillips serves as the inspiration for Wu’s fall 2010 TSE cashmere collection. Wu, 27, captures Ryman’s quiet montage in a 13-piece collection of textured coats, dresses and separates. The event’s organizers garnered half of the collection for a live model demonstration while a video of Wu’s fall runway show streamed in the cafe.

A departure from previous collections in terms of color (with of course, the unforgettable off-white Grecian one-shouldered gown he designed for Ms. Michelle Obama), Wu inherits Ryman’s somber palette of cream, white, black with accents of soft pastels or variation of shades. The luxe fabrics and textures combined with color choice stimulated rather than deafened the senses. What can be more beautiful in the onset of winter than a lightness of being?

Real Estate agent Claire Welsh now knows what to wear this fall. “The collection is just amazing and I’m excited about wearing creaming, it looks very clean and sharp.”

Hosts Cothran (wearing a heavenly chiffon Vena Cava dress) and Neiman Marcus’s Liberty Jones opted for elegant ensembles in muted taupe and black, respectively, in spirit of Wu and Ryman, while the sold-out crowd dressed in this season’s bright hues. Yours truly donned a customized red cocktail dress designed by local designer, David Fisher, another talented independent designer who celebrates a woman’s hourglass silhouette. (More on Fisher in a forthcoming article.)

The Ryman exhibit ends September 12 and view Wu’s fall 2010 runway show streamed on his Web site.

models, T.H.E. Modeling Agency

Claire Welsh, fashion notable: adding sparkle to her ensemble with strappy heels by Giuseppe Zanotti and vintage Gucci purse

Orinda Basha, fashion notable: heels with ostrich feathers, purchased in South Africa

Project Beltway's Rachel Cothran, David Fisher of David Joseph Designs, and yours truly