New York Wins Carrousel Ring as Buyers Make Their Rounds
America’s fashion buyers have departed Europe and descended on New York. They are tired after tromping through three countries in as many weeks, searching, searching, searching for wearable spring clothes to bring back home. It’s too bad they couldn’t have started here first, because America, this year, is where the fashion is.
Geoffrey Beene’s show Monday morning at the Plaza Hotel was sumptuous, full of color and grace. It was an American version of the body-conscious look so prevalent in Paris, and one that seems more wearable and romantic. Beene does not depend on broad shoulders, waist-cinching belts or other brazen details to achieve his shapes. His seams do it all, swerving in and out, defining the body invisibly, whether on daytime knit cottons and silks or evening satins, jerseys and laces.
Beene’s waistline treatments are awesome. Dress bodices are not simply attached to skirts at the midpoint. They slide down over the waistline in various arcs and curves, insinuating themselves into the skirts so that waists seem smaller, hips more shapely. Beene is a Southern gentleman and his clothes reflect that particular refinement.
His signature of the season is a snug, hip-length jacket that side-wraps and sashes at the waist. It is shown in daytime and evening fabrics with matching slim pants and skirts.
His colors, in addition to navy, black and champagne, are brilliant jewel tones of green, pink and yellow.
Beene was a hard act to follow, but Bill Blass held his show immediately afterward in the same hotel. Blass is the Charlton Heston of fashion. He always plays himself, no matter what the script. And though this year’s fashion script calls for figure-revealing clothes, Blass sticks to the formula that put him at the top. His perfectly crafted daytime suit jackets are easy over the torso (to hide figure flaws), and slim skirts stop at the knee (the only acceptable length for women of a certain age and social status).
Blass’ big contribution to spring fashion is the decorative cardigan sweater, lined and trimmed to match daytime or evening outfits with which it is shown. A navy cashmere cardigan with white collar, for example, tops a navy pullover tucked into striped pants. A black sweater, with lace appliques on the sleeves, is lined in black-and-white checks to match the evening skirt below. Pastel cardigans, touched with pale plaid fabric trimmings, top bouffant evening skirts of the same pale plaid. All look absolutely right for women who can afford the designer’s top-rung prices and the touch of Blass class.
Perry Ellis’ sportswear for spring looked absolutely soothing to eyes that had overdosed on the tight pants and tops of the Paris collections. Ellis emphasizes white in linen and cotton. His shapes are lean, crisp and relatively loose (though never droopy). Pants float away from the leg and are cropped just above the ankle or even shorter. Jackets swing loose above bandeau bras or little blouses. There’s a certain slim, easy swagger to even his skinniest skirts and dresses. And his prints, inspired by Oriental-porcelain motifs, are refreshingly pristine. They are large, pale green or blue dragons, butterflies and flowers printed on white cotton or linen and woven into white easy-fit sweaters.
Male and female models came down the runway at one point, both wearing the same white printed cotton blazer jackets, the same easy, white cropped pants. They looked as if they belonged on a California beach or in an update of an F. Scott Fitzgerald film. There was no music or theatrics at the Perry Ellis show, proving that well-designed clothes need nothing except people to wear them.
