The sun must have his shade

"The sun must have his shade." Kris Van Assche borrowed the cryptic line for his invitation from sixteenth-century poet Thomas Campion, which was pretty much in keeping with Van Assche"s track record. He"s often been partial to a little highbrow window-dressing. He insisted what he really wanted to convey was the incongruity of tuxedos on the beach. At Art Basel Miami Beach last year, he"d spent a lot of time baking in black-tie while working the art fair"s frenetic beachside social circuit. That struck him as some kind of metaphor for the mix of formal and informal that is his design signature at Dior.

The music today was Pet Shop Boys, "something that is fun and rigorous at the same time," said Van Assche. He was after that same quality in the clothes, too, but there, the fun was a little less obvious than the rigor. The designer repeated variants on jackets and pants (short, medium, long) in a handful of muted, compatible tones, all designed to be endlessly recombined. "Lots of choice within one idea," he said. Visual interest was provided by contrasting, often metallic patchworks inspired by the work of artist John Chamberlain. For Van Assche, patchwork embodied what he called "the opportunities of chance." (There were dice on his invitation, alongside Campion"s words.) That may also have been the rationale behind the big mirrored maze that filled the catwalk. In a maze, there is always the chance to take a right turn—or a wrong one.

But it seemed like an unnecessarily complicated device for a show that was so straightforward. Perhaps that was the point too. The musician/theoretician Brian Eno once stipulated that "repetition of a thing changes it." Van Assche might have hoped some of that magic would attach itself to his own repetitious offering, but just in case it didn"t, he made sure the audience had plenty of time to reflect on his clothes as his models trolled to and fro through the reflecting labyrinth.Welcome to visit my Coach Sale store: http://coachoutlet.kchbags.com

Well-cut, relatively simple silhouettes like shifts

In recent seasons Talbot Runhof designers Johnny Talbot and Adrian Runhof moved away from their signature draped gowns in favor of elevated daywear. Many designers made similar decisions as more retail-friendly pre-collections gained traction on the sales floor. But you can"t argue with the numbers: Those satin dresses were still Talbot Runhof"s top sellers, so for Pre-Fall they shifted their focus toward new, more inventive twists on evening. "We sometimes get tired of the conventional look of eveningwear," said Runhof. "We tried to design things that are elegant and flattering, but more modern for the red carpet."

Well-cut, relatively simple silhouettes like shifts, cardigans, and shirtdresses left room for the duo to get creative with fabrics. One standout textile was a jacquard of blown-up checks outlined by touches of glimmering lamé, which looked particularly red-carpet-worthy on a dramatic ball skirt. Paired with a simple cashmere top, it was also super wearable. Elsewhere in the collection were splashy floral prints and intricate beading inspired by a recent trip to Majorca. "We interpreted the idea of Spanish tile work in many different ways," Runhof explained. "The prints, the texture of tweeds and embroideries…all of these details are actually inspired by the same idea." However, he was most enthusiastic about a few simple stretchy dresses that were made using a high-tech knit technique not unlike the one used to make socks. "Each dress is knitted in one piece around, so there are no seams," Runhof said. The body-hugging silhouette and lower price point should attract new, younger shoppers and will likely be a hit for Talbot Runhof"s established clientele, too.Welcome to visit my Coach Sale store: http://official.uscoachoutletbags.com