In nearly five years at Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa has proven that he s the most precise of designers, and his Fall collection was almost regimental in its discipline. The models were nearly makeup-free, their hair pulled back in severe ponytails, and the clothes were just as uncompromising.
After Spring s dress-heavy lineup, Costa zeroed in on tailoring, opening with a cashmere mantle coat in deepest navy that topped a fitted shirt and a straight-line skirt. Their clean surfaces set an austere mood from which the designer hardly deviated. A color-blocked A-line shift followed a collarless jacket worn with pencil-thin leggings, and an overscale, boxy men s jacket followed an asymmetrical, away-from-the-body boiled wool dress. Two coats, one single-breasted, the other double (not that there was a button or closure to be seen), were deceptively simple and simply beautiful. Other toppers were razor-cut at the lapels to reveal a flash of what the model was wearing underneath.
Costa has had a big year, crisscrossing the globe several times to promote the brand and cultivating important celebrity relationships along the way. Liv Tyler, who was to co-host his after-party at the Waverly Inn, sat front and center, next to Ali Larter. It s curious, then, that the designer showed only three special-occasion dresses: accordion-pleat gowns that draped from one shoulder or dipped low in front. Their metallic silk glittered under the runway lights, but it wasn t quite enough to generate real fashion excitement. Indeed, the audience for a collection as rigorous as this may be limited. Still, fans of Costa s brand of minimalism came away more than satisfied.
