The new (and very talented) designer Rolando Santana unveiled a stunning collection during New York Fashion Week. I was particuarly interested in this show for two reasons: I always like to see the work of young designers, in general; and, in Rolando’s case specifically, I was eager to see the result of his collaboration with Manolo Blahnik–one of the world’s great masters of shoe design, and part of SusanTabak.com’s roster for The Daily Shoe

Rolando intrigued me, but I went to the show knowing very little about his work (of course, that element of discovery is an exciting part of what I do). The show was quite impressive: here, at least, was a young designer who may not have had a big budget for mounting his défilé, but who still had plenty of great ideas. And his use of beautiful fabrics is a strong indication that, despite his youth or inexperience, he certainly understands quality.

My favorite piece was the silver jumpsuit, above. I love jumpsuits in general, and Rolando’s was sleek and glittery but not outrageous–just chic. I also liked his use of transparent tulle, net and chiffon for little sweater sets: some of these pieces could go anywhere and work with anything.

Of course, the Manolo Blahnik-crafted shoes were sexy and feminine, and they really helped unify the collection and pull the show together. Rolando showed great promise and I will certainly continue to watch his progress!

Photographs by Eka Halim