Richardine Bartee
Often atypical and ardent in presentation, last night was no exception to the Neodandi rule. I, Richardine, arrived fashionably late — just a joke — in pursuit of finding a wallet that held my driver’s identification and credit cards. Unfortunately, we did not locate his belongings. Bummer. It was 8 on the nose when we walked in and promptly checked in. Upon viewing the runway, a full black palette was in gear. Instead of De Osu’s models walking and strutting their stuff on his runway, it was a colliding moment of art: fashion and theatre. Each figure tends to yoke with another, creating what it truly means to be a uniform “collection”. To get a better grasp of the designer, start with this Seattle Weekly feature.
In the past, his collections featured colorful knits, distressed jean and heather greys. De Osu’s models are usually newcomers with interesting looks. Often, speaking to everyone in the audience. Multiracial and global. We like that. Beyond the pieces that I did see, I really enjoyed his choice of venue. It was pleasingly grateful, kempt and Japanese. On his special food menu: Yama-Imo Isobe-Age (mountain yam and edamame wrapped in nori, fried served with arajio (natural sea salt), Obanzai (chef’s selection of Kyoto-style appetizers), Maki Mono (chef’s selection of rolls), House Made Tofu (served with wari joyu), Beef Tataki (served with kinpira gobo), Crispy Fried Chicken (served with lemon) and Ebi Shinjo (shrimp fritters).
The Neodandi (house made ginger syrup, Shiro shochu, fresh lime juice, club soda), Sauvignon Blanc (Loire, France), Barbera D’asti (Barbaresco, Italy), Prosecco (Veneto, Italy), Kaori (Yamaguchi, Japan) and Sapporo (Japanese Lager). I am not a drinker, but I really enjoyed drinking “The Neodandi”. It was smooth going down the pipes. It had a crisp, refreshing taste and it wasn’t more than I could bear. Another hit at the show was the “Crispy Fried Chicken”. It was so good, I witnessed a fellow guest scream when the hot chicken appeared on what might have been a floating platter to her.
When asked when his next show will be, he replied, “March”. He knows how to treat his guests.
