Neil Barrett couldn t have picked a better moment to debut his women s collection. Suits are in the ascendancy, and this Milan-based British menswear designer cuts a mean one. For fall, he worked two themes: formal eveningwear and the army. That translated into trim black coats inset with satin cummerbunds (a timely detail given fashion s ongoing obsession with the waist), curving pencil skirts with tuxedo stripes, and lapel-less jackets, all tailored with a military precision. Slim pants with a sexy swagger were a highpoint, especially for those of us who miss Helmut Lang. Structure is Barrett s calling card, but he didn t lose his sense for proportions when he did soft, belting a boat-neck sweater over a flaring double-layer skirt. His last look—a pleated cocktail dress with a trompe l oeil effect—was the most feminine of the bunch, perhaps indicating where this talented designer will take his womenswear next.
