Cornelia Guest Graces the Runway at Dennis Basso's NYFW Spring 2024 Fashion Show
Designer Dennis Basso chose socialite, writer, and dear friend Cornelia Guest to walk the runway at his New York Fashion Week show for his Spring 2024 line at 583 Park Avenue. 'The exciting thing about this collection is that I used the inspiration of great American families...generational dressing...grandmothers, mothers and daughters,' the New York-based designer told us backstage. The line pays homage to icons of American style and vivaciousness of new world glamour with gowns to resort wear and even pantsuits and shorts. The palette ranged from shimmering pale blue, midnight black, bronze, copper, white, and even polka dots (trending this season). There were Basso's signature petite evening boleros. This season saw designs in silk chiffon, satin face organza, embroidered lace, point d'esprit, four-ply silk, and gazar capture the soigné mood, and there were handmade flowers. The hair was an ode to Barbie with a high-power pony, while the makeup was more subdued and natural, both done by salon owner Julien Farel. 'I think good fashion is timeless,' said Basso. 'You should be able to go back into your closet, take something out that you haven't worn in years, refresh it a little bit, and you can take that girl back out. That has always been my mantra of how I design my collection.'
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 I'm Dennis Basso and you're watching Life Minute TV.
00:13 So the exciting thing about this collection is I've used the inspiration of great American
00:19 families, generational dressing, grandmothers, mothers and daughters.
00:23 And this is something that I've always been focused on, but I want you to look to America's
00:27 great history and how people summered in what they wore at great parties, lawn parties,
00:32 cotillion balls, weddings.
00:35 And I thought, well, who else would be better than to get my dear friend Cornelia Guest,
00:39 who's a woman of vision and style.
00:41 Her mother was the great CZ Guest, to have her as my muse and my inspiration.
00:46 So we've done beautiful things, pale colors, flowing chiffon, double-faced satin, organza,
00:53 beautiful tweeds.
00:55 The evening things are quite feminine.
00:56 The day things are man-talent, but with a feminine touch.
00:59 The silhouettes are one shoulder with beautiful chiffon cascades off the shoulder.
01:04 We've also, on a lot of the things, have done beautiful handmade flowers in the same fabric
01:10 that the clothes are actually in.
01:12 We've done some great walking shorts and blazers, a couple of fantastic jumpsuits, and very
01:18 flowing and very easygoing and moving.
01:20 Well, I think, you know, that's what changes the time.
01:23 The kind of shoe you're wearing, the handbag, the makeup, the jewelry, all of that is what
01:29 develops and creates the look.
01:31 So one of my favorite looks actually happens to be the look that I designed for Cornelia,
01:36 which is an embroidered beaded lace gown that's lined in a beautiful silk organza with a train.
01:42 I love that.
01:43 We've done some beautiful floral looks that are very chic and sophisticated.
01:49 It's a combination.
01:50 I think you'll get a good look from the runway.
01:52 Yeah, I mean, I love to come to the chicest show in town.
01:56 I go to a lot of very cool shows, but this is a real uptown show with a lot of uptown
02:01 people and some glamour that's left in New York, and I want to have a little part of
02:05 it left.
02:06 So this is it.
02:07 I'm obsessed with everything sheer, which is a lot of fun.
02:12 What did I think about "I'm Speechless"?
02:13 It was fabulous.
02:14 It's gorgeous.
02:15 And this is amazing.
02:16 I can't wait to place my orders.
02:18 Oh my God, I love the black chiffon.
02:20 I love the yellow.
02:21 The yellow just took me away.
02:22 The gown, one shoulder.
02:23 I loved everything.
02:25 He's one of those guys that really is the stalwart of what New York fashion is.
02:31 He's been in the industry a long time.
02:33 We know that.
02:35 And we need people like that.
02:36 You know, this year it's all about Barbie, Barbie, Barbie.
02:40 So for Dennis Basso, we wanted to do something with a bit more glam, but to have the touch
02:45 of the high into the hair.
02:48 It's wimpy, a little bit with more texture and more volume.
02:51 We always want to keep a little bit of a ponytail look, but we wanted to make it a little bit
02:56 more elaborate.
02:58 So the look is done with two different ponytails, and then the cascade of hair, we can have
03:03 some movement without taking away the design of the collection.
03:07 So the makeup is much more natural.
03:10 So we wanted to do something that was going to be a little bit lighter and not too heavy,
03:14 and something also was going to be as well as daytime, just something too heavy on the
03:20 evening time.
03:22 I think that good fashion is timeless, so you should be able to go back into your closet
03:26 and take something else out that you haven't worn in years, refresh it a little bit, and
03:31 you can take that girl back out.
03:32 And that's always been my mantra in terms of how I design my collection.
03:36 [MUSIC PLAYING]