"Earthy" isn t a term you d immediately apply to a tall drink of water like L Wren Scott, but after being inspired by the wind last season, the designer has moved on to a second element: terra firma. She named this collection "Bois de Boulogne" after the falling leaves and barren trees outside her studio window. Also influential were the forest-y motifs of British artist Adam Ball, whose white-on-white cutout works served as a backdrop for today s presentation at the Gagosian Gallery. It was Scott who provided the color, a gorgeously rich range of greens in a palette that the designer said was her most varied ever. Forests have something of a moody, fairy-tale quality, and that suits Scott s romantic, witchy leanings just fine— witness a sharp bottle-green Edwardian frock coat, cut with a high slit to reveal a hint of the sequined gown glimmering beneath.
Rather than exit the stage, the models lined up one by one in front of Ball s cutouts. They did so with their backs to the audience, which this time around included Rachel Feinstein Currin and Dustin Hoffman, as well as Scott s number-one fan, Mick Jagger. This wasn t bad manners, but rather a ploy to showcase the trellis of red embroidery snaking down the rear of a lean, black coat or to underline that a prim, long-sleeved frock had another trick up its sleeve: a completely open back.
Dramatic, yes, but Scott s strength is that she combines that with versatility. Afterward, Kyra Sedgwick took a minute to choose her favorites from a collection filled with best-dressed options. She settled on a body-hugging Kelly day dress sweetly topped with a cardigan "for real life," and an emerald column with a jet-beaded bodice for the red carpet. "They re one of the most comfortable dresses to wear," she said of Scott s strict silhouettes, which would seem to betray every excess crumb. "They make you look great from every angle."
