LOOKBOOK: CUSHNIE ET OCHS

Backstage at New York Fashion Week, two girls on a model mission.

By now you've seen a lot of lookbooks on our site, and so you know the drill:  Pretty girl, next season's outfits, white background, standard "I'm so bored" expression.

But below is a lookbook of - dare we say it - a different color.  Developed by emerging designers Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs (together, they are Cushnie et Ochs), the book was shot backstage by photographer Chadwick Tyler just before their show at Milk Studios.

That means the models (like Iekeliene Stange and Gracie Carvaljo) are straight off the catwalk, the styling (by Nicole Vitagliano) is exactly what the fashion editors saw, and the vibe (trippy and a little bit panicked) is pretty true to form.

Flick through our eight favorite looks and imagine them walking down the runway.  Then envision filling out the dresses yourself (despite the models' uniformly rail proportions, these dresses would look better with curves) and you'll see why this label is one to watch.
--FARAN KRENTCIL



This story was published on November 18, 2009.