Zang Toi's F/W 2011 collection is "wearable drama"

On Friday I stopped by Saks for the Zang Toi trunk show of his Fall/Winter 2011 collection.

Having only previously seen him in photos, I was taken aback by what a visual delight the designer is in person. He strode toward me, wearing a velvet Kinloch Anderson (kilt-maker for Prince Charles) mini-kilt, with the House of Toi Crest beaded on its front. His impeccably toned (and tanned) legs put my own pasty twigs to shame. His hair was precision-parted to the side, pinned back with a rhinestone bobby pin. "I'm Zang," he said to me with a broad smile, thrusting his hand into mine. "What do you think of my collection?"

"It's so elegant," I said, since I couldn't think of a better word for the dramatic-yet-wearable-and-timeless collection of camel, emerald, charcoal and black. "I would wear each and every piece."

Toi is known for attaching a theme to every collection but this season he was inspired by the recession. "Right now people are more selective about what they spend money on. I wanted to give women pieces that are truly worth it, an investment in timeless beauty," he said.

He's pictured above with his favorite piece; an emerald silk opera coat, which can be worn with a floor-length gown or with a mini dress. Toi revealed that his date to the CFDA Gala on June 6 will wear the emerald coat, but refused to tell me who the lucky lady is. However, he hinted she's a well-known socialite in New York (not an actress or musician) who was personally instructed by Anna Wintour to wear Alexander McQueen to the Met Gala. Who do you think it is? I've listed my best guesses in the poll below. Just for giggles, let's see if H in the H readers can get it right! Who do you think it will be?



Check out the collection below, and be sure to notice how the camel tweed pieces are paired with a silk printed with an image of the tweed. The extravagant neck pieces on the gowns are sold separately for mixing and matching.