Millo a Columbian Fashion Designer with a Brilliant Future

Columbian fashion designer Millo hopes her singular name and singular take on fashion design will take hold in the States. Her flashy style celebrates the curves and sensuality of the female form.

Despite her popularity in her home country (she won the Fabricato Award for best Columbian Fashion Designer), Millo has yet to make waves in North America. The Spring 2007 Olympus Fashion Shows mark Millo's debut in the major fashion marketplace. Though the fashion designer has been in the fashion business for more than twenty years (she launched her brand in 1983 in Cartegena), she's a relative newcomer to the New York scene.

One thing is for certain; Colombian fashions are heavy on the sex appeal. For Spring 2007 Millo placed her focus on the bodice--all the action appears to be happening above the navel. Legs are not the feature Millo loves best. Skirt hems lines were all below the knee and at the ankle or dripping on the floor. And most pants gathered swept the runway floor. The voluminous pants were reminiscent of an "I dream of Genie" Episode. They sat low on the hip and then flared out in yards of fabric.

On a few ensembles, the designer achieved balance with the flowing bottoms and scant tops, but on others the designs seemed to be at odds with one another. When Millo missed the mark her creations seemed matronly, as the bottom half of the models were overpowered by too much stiff fabric. The starchy palazzos in chantu silk were the least effective of all.

Asymmetry plays a huge part in this collection. Uneven hems and handkerchief finishes are a favorite of Millo. The designer is a fan of embellishment and featured beadwork, embroidery and brocades on her clothing.

Millo also made good use of negative space; adorned sashes were woven over and under fabric offering structure to the otherwise billowy creations. Silk chiffon and silk organza leant themselves best to these creations.

The glorious gowns were a winner in this collection and they were perfectly dreamy. The sheer fabrics paired perfectly with the "Midsummer Night Dream" iridescent hues. The ethereal dresses were constructed from merely a whisper of fabric. Gorgeous in multihued layers with asymmetrical hems, they were a sensational effort.

Sadly, Millo took the celebration of the natural themes to a bit of an extreme with her tulle floral palazzo pants. The multicolored appliqué flowers looked dowdy when compared to the rest of the collection.

Not eager to neglect ladies with less than perfect bodies, Millo developed a cache of safe of black and gray numbers. Leaving these off the runway and selling them at wholesale would best serve her business-they were too safe for Fashion Week. A rather horrid black Georgette column dress was ruined by a crystal bow. Thankfully, its cousin in silk satin was missing the bow and had a delightfully sexy slash revealing a nice dose of skin.

The finale was an over-the-top bridal number-only Shakira could pull this sparkly showgirl look off. The silk organza gathered bandeau top had far too many crystals. The flowing pants simply drowned the model in fabric.

The designer calls her work "casually elegant" but it would be a challenge to show up in one of these creations to anything less than a swank affair. If Millo's Spring 2007 Collection is indicative of her talents, she'll be a permanent addition to the Manhattan catwalk.