#MeToo Ally Creates Clothes for Women Who Are Done With Being Harassed

NEW YORK — No apologies. That’s the attitude Tadashi Shoji exhibited in creating his fall collection unveiled at New York Fashion Week. Taking inspiration from the #MeToo and Time’s Up movements, the Japanese-American designer — lauded as a red carpet favorite — firmly believes women should be able to dress how they want without worrying about being harassed.

“Everything (this season) is bold and unapologetic,” Shoji told Vogue.com. “There are people who say you can’t be sexy and provocative yet taken seriously, but I think that’s ridiculous.”

Shoji, whose clients include Olympic figure skater Mirai Nagusu (she wore a Shoji-designed sheer powder cosmos-inspired powered blue gown to the Oscars) and Octavia Spencer (he designed the dress she wore to the premiere of The Shape of Water), presented a variety of colorful styles in the collection, ranging from high-neck, long-sleeve cocktail dresses to slinky evening gowns with thigh-high slits.

Evening gowns — always an important part of any Shoji collection — come in vibrant shades of cranberry red, dark green, and shades of blue. But at least a third of the looks are in basic black — the color worn by stars at the Golden Globes in January to first highlight the #MeToo movement at an awards show.

Some gowns are made of demure lace; others are created from curve-hugging sequins, trimmed in black leather, or sheer lingerie-inspired silks. Many of them feature Shoji’s figure-flattering techniques, with draping, ruching and pleating to accentuate positive features. Among the loveliest looks are draped gowns reminiscent of Donna Karan’s heyday, without a hint of embellishment.

Other styles, ranging from a lace halter jumpsuit to a copper-colored pants round out the varied collection, leaving shoppers with a lot of sartorial choices.

Shoji has announced plans to open a boutique in The Houston Galleria, although it’s unclear when the opening date will take place.