Talbot Runhof plays off hide-and-seek philosophy - San Francisco Gate |
| Talbot Runhof plays off hide-and-seek philosophy - San Francisco Gate Posted: 21 Dec 2010 03:58 PM PST Talbot Runhof's gowns are catching on with A-list celebrities. It's hard to imagine an electrical engineer and a fashion designer going into business together in Germany and creating glamorous gowns for red-carpet celebrities, but that's what happened when Nashville native Johnny Talbot met Adrian Runhof in Munich a decade ago. Today, their label - Talbot Runhof - is worn by A-listers including Angelina Jolie, Jennifer Lopez, Eva Longoria and Carrie Underwood, as well as "Up in the Air" star Anna Kendrick. Pieces from their fall 2010 and spring 2011 collection were on display at Saks Fifth Avenue recently for a trunk show, where Runhof shared his expert fashion advice with a bevy of the store's most loyal shoppers. (Talbot had fallen ill and couldn't attend in person.) Their cocktail-length and full-length creations are known for their dramatic and monochromatic elegance, but also for exquisite comfort and fit. Stretch taffeta is a staple in their arsenal; it has sheen and give, and when combined with ruching in strategic spots, covers a woman's flaws and highlights her attributes, Runhof said. "It hugs the body and makes you feel wonderful and comfortable," Runhof said. "You radiate, because you feel so well." The gowns ranged in color from hot pink and emerald green to a charcoal tone that they prefer to call sepia, made of blue, yellow and black fibers woven together. Portrait collars were constructed to be adjustable, with ruching and origami-like folds, yielding either a sleeveless look if worn off the shoulders or a capped-sleeve look if pulled down over the shoulders. Many gowns have long sleeves, which some women wear to hide discomfort with their arms but other women prefer because it adds a sense of mystery, Runhof said. German Consul General Peter Rothen was on hand to lend moral support and to point out that by volume, Germany exports more clothing than France in the "medium to premium category." Runhof, a native of Germany who was working for a fashion house in Munich, was approached by Talbot to form a partnership. Talbot had been watching from afar, and although he was an engineer by training, always wanted to be a fashion designer, so they took a chance and partnered up in 2000, Runhof said. Liliana Nordbakk, a private equity investor and Munich native shopping with friends, had never heard of Talbot Runhof before the trunk show. She bought a black knee-length dress that was body-hugging but not bare to wear to December's holiday parties. "Being sexy doesn't mean you show everything," Runhof advised. "You should hide it and let him guess." This article appeared on page S - 4 of the San Francisco Chronicle This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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