The artsy, retro wave that swept over many of Milan s collections this week—ethnic influences, girlish silhouettes and asymmetrical hemlines—seems to have crested with the Strenesse collection. Strenesse designer Gabriele Strehle has always injected a little downtown gallery-owner attitude into her commercially appealing sportswear; but this season it looks like she bought a loft in SoHo, c. 1985, and has Laurie Anderson coming over for dinner.
Strehle showed a mostly black collection heavy with Japanese references such as kimono sleeves, torso-wrapping obi belts, and the rosy-toned print that leavened the monochrome palette, showing up in loose blouses and fluid, knee-length dresses. While there were good-looking pieces with appeal to any serious fashion follower—a generously cut black trench and some gleaming, feminine black satin dresses—Strehle stuck too close to a bygone—albeit important—fashion era.
