IVANAhelsinki Velvet Lake Collection A/W 2011

I was really excited to get an invite to IVANAhelsinki’s runway show at Lincoln Center at NYFW last Thursday, though I couldn’t make it (I had my cousin’s rehearsal dinner on Long Island that night). But since I’ve followed Finnish designer Paola Suhonen from Copenhagen to her first forays into New York, I asked for pictures from the show anyway.

When I opened the lookbook for the collection (which her sister and business partner Pirjo graciously sent me), called Velvet Lake, I was reminded why I’m such a fan of the line. Who else shows mini-dresses for fall? It’s one of the only collections I could actually wear here in balmy Houston, when “fall” means a drop down to 80 degrees. Suhonen’s penchant for nautical touches mesh with on-trend 70s detailing and colors, too. The dresses are still perfect for layering when it gets a little chilly — over thin long-sleeve tees or with tights and boots — and they’re also a valuable go-to for Northern girls who want a jump on fall during their late summer weeks.

Click each photo for up close shots. UPDATE! Wrong lookbook was sent, and these photos are from Spring/Summer 2011. Below are photos from the actual Velvet Lake A/W 2011 collection shown last week in New York. Most of what I said still rings true, though: mini dresses for fall! Albeit ones with more season-appropriate fabrics and colors (an appealing 1960s Orient Express vibe for sure), with a few faux furs thrown in for Scandanavian-worthy cold fronts 🙂

And several of the nautical styles from Spring will continue through the year because of popular requests.