The grandiose soundtrack boomed, "I am black, I am beautiful, I am king." Chandeliers that hovered over the catwalk soared ceiling-wards in a Phantom-worthy gesture. Unsurprising, given that Scott Pask, one of Broadway s best designers, was responsible for the production. Sean Combs does nothing by halves—except, with this collection, he did. The key item was a half-jacket, a bolero in tweed or leather or gray flannel, usually layered over fitted hip-length knits. The same truncated proportion was duplicated in some of the elaborate knitwear that also characterized the show. Frankly, it looked a bit clumsy—definitely not something you could picture Combs himself wearing. He d more likely favor the gray flannel three-piece, with the long coat-jacket, or perhaps the purple suede topcoat. Though the palette was somber, there was plenty of surface decoration: a thick fringe of wool on the yoke of a green rollneck, a dyed fox collar on a burgundy leather jacket, a patchwork of chain mail on a black suede jacket. A little overwrought, perhaps. Still, a top of antiqued silver paillettes or a blouson in dark brocade had a tamped-down luxe that could work in a more casual context.
