Donna Karan went back to the archives for her fall inspirations. Bodysuits and leggings—both elements of the Seven Easy Pieces equation that launched her brand 20-plus years ago—formed a kind of backbone for the collection, from which tulip skirts and similarly full dresses and coats could bloom. The show wasn t all about proportion-play; in a stretch-silk tuxedo jacket and stretch-wool trousers, the model Vlada looked as if she could slip through the cracks in the sidewalk. But this, and a few other exits like it, seemed little more than concessions to the current craze for pantsuits. Karan s real passion is for dresses—when was the last time you saw the designer in anything else?
Last season s tenting freefall dresses made appearances here, but they were reworked so that the fabric draped from the shoulders to reveal the sash in back. Thanks to bodysuits with trompe l oeil bodices, and nipped-waist sheaths with net insets, there was yet more flesh on display. Provocative, yes, but perfectly tasteful, and the former, at least, won t likely make it to stores without linings anyway. What will arrive unchanged is Karan s outerwear. A gold leather trench with extra-wide lapels and an hourglass white alpaca with a funnel neck were both memorable, but the standout was a coat made from thousands of tiny leather paillettes.
