Not far into Francesco Scognamiglio s Fall show, a fellow editor leaned over and said, "A lot tamer than usual, no?" It was certainly less risqué than last season s strong outing in which every piece, without exception, was sheer. Today by contrast, in what looked like a play at commercial viability, Scognamiglio introduced crochet knit sweaters and neo-conservative tailoring in a stiff woolen with a slight metallic sheen. He even, believe it or not, sent out a few of his models with briefcases tucked under their arms.
But Scognamiglio could only hold back his eccentric impulses for so long. Midway through the show there appeared a button-down shirt printed with a pair of whales and grapefruit slices. Animals and fruit were popular tropes for Spring, but only the designer s psychiatrist could plumb the meaning of that combo. Later on, a bias-cut column gown came out with hip panniers in stuffed grapefruit slices—if nothing else, the exaggerated padding was on-trend. Truth be told, Scognamiglio is best in avant-garde mode. A fuzzy overcoat with splatches of electric green car paint had a sit-up-and-notice-me quality that some of the safer pieces lacked. Negotiating that divide will be Scognamiglio s challenge going forward.
