Matthew Williamson s girl is a global traveler, but for Fall she s returning to her roots. "It s very English in spirit," said the designer. "I had a vision of a girl in the depths of the countryside, rustic and earthy." There were clever Fair Isle sweaters, skirts, and leggings monogrammed with "MW," and day dresses in a rose print that looked like the faded wallpaper you d find in a cozy cottage. But it became increasingly clear that Williamson s definitions of terms were rather loose. His parkas and anoraks were cut from crinkly metallic nylon and came with fox-trimmed hoods, his shearlings were patent, and as for his boots, his muse won t be getting far in the muck wearing those high-heeled tapestry-covered spectators.
Indeed, you can take the boy out of the city, but you can t take the city out of the boy. Williamson s party frocks are what draw stars like Rihanna to his front row—no, unfortunately she didn t emulate Prince s surprise performance at Williamson s Spring show in London. But the designer s chosen theme served him not so well after dark. The neon tree print he used for a long dress and a capeleted mini came off as gimmicky. He d be smart to keep this romance with the great outdoors brief.
