Now in her fourth season of designing ready-to-wear, Devi Kroell graduated today to a full runway show. Though the designer displayed an immediately confident voice when launching her accessories business six years ago, the process of branching out into clothing hasn t been quite as effortless. Backstage, she explained that last Spring s collection, which was very different from today s opulent, evening-focused look, was the result of letting too many cooks into the proverbial kitchen. "I listened to too many people," said Kroell. Starting with her pre-fall line, the designer explained, she sharpened her focus to a raison d être about which she feels strongly: translating the minimal shapes and rich materials of her bags and shoes into dresses and coats.
Fall had plenty of those luxurious materials, in moody jewel tones or flash-bright metallics. The show opened with a royal purple astrakhan tuxedo coat with a leather collar, topped with a fox fur trapper s hat. There were more pelts to come, like two terrific dyed fox coats, which were some of the strongest pieces in the show. (In fact, Kroell s furs, which debuted long before the ready-to-wear, have always seemed like a perfect natural extension of her business.) Whether you d call these silhouettes minimal depends on your taste for tricks. There were blouson backs and face-framing collars, but nothing so outlandish as to ring the alarm.
Though not perfect, it was a collection with some fine clothes. Enough to justify expanding into very high-end ready-to-wear while the economy still falters? That remains to be seen. But with the cash injection of the Bartel family (which also owns a stake in Lanvin), Kroell may yet have the luxury of time and resources to make her case.
