He teetered on the edge of the stage, greeting every model with a bejeweled grasp.
Thin, animated, dressed as if for an updated edition of Studio 54, Stephen Moser ruled the runway. He looked older than his 55 years, but with white hair sprouting in all directions and a club jacket waving to his fans, more glamourous than ever.
Hilal and Kati Hibri
Austin has rarely seen a unabashed showman like Moser. He carries around a trunk of contradictions and ambiguities, but nobody can argue with his sense of theatricality. So no wonder the upstairs runway at the Driskill Hotel was standing-room-only for a Hospice Austin benefit show on Sunday.
Prior to Moser’s epic collection, we saw three smaller ones, including a somber and no less dramatic selection from Moser gal pal Gail Chovan, whose leather-clad models floated down the runway like martyred saints.
Josh Ortiz and Ashleigh Grounds
After Moser’s club gothic collection of fur and feathers shown during Austin Fashion Week in August, we expected something along those lines. Yet while still inspired by his beloved 1970s and ’80s, the designer had moved into a more user-friendly mode this time.
As always, fascinating, unidentifiable fabrics took the spotlight.
Kitty Korvette and Hande Blackburn
Male local celebrities wore sheer jackets over corruscating tops and tight pants. The women dominated in dresses and gowns the could carry them from cocktails to galas and nightclubs given only a few small adjustments.
The more confident the model, the better the clothes looked.
When done, Moser stood at the top of the runway for what seemed like ages. Then he greeted almost everybody on the front row with a kiss, a hug, a bow or even a genuflection. After that, he thanked all his muses, especially the ferociously devoted Jackie Oh, as the crowded melted away.
Sadness mixed with elation. What if we’d had a Moser collection every year? We can only daydream.