Ennio Capasa claims he was mesmerized by the look of London s many style tribes when he launched Costume National in 1987. Still, it s primarily punk that has shaped his sensibility over the subsequent years. Now, with the generosity of spirit that years of success can bequeath a guy, he has initiated the next decade of his career with a return to roots. Big clue: Capasa has shaved off his Three Musketeers goatee. "Cleaning up," he called it backstage. And the fashion equivalent was a collection that drew in elements of ted, mod, skin, and—natch—punk to create a dish that was, as the designer said in his show manifesto, "for tomorrow." While Radiohead blistered the ether with key tracks from In Rainbows, Capasa marched a mod-worthy pied-de-poule trench, a plaid shirt, waistcoat, and white jeans combo (sheer skinhead), and a red plaid mohair jacket (echoes of vintage 77 King s Road) down the catwalk. The brothel creepers and the trilbys pushed casually back on the models heads added the requisite fifties vibe. But Capasa is more than a fashion archeologist. There will always be a detail that lets you know he feels what he does—maybe something as minor as a signet ring pushed over a fingerless mitt, or as striking as the bugle-beaded lapel on a washed-out jacket. You might have done that yourself to juice up a vintage purchase, but Ennio did it first.
