A "proper English gentleman s hunting wardrobe" was the inspiration behind Jenni Kayne s latest collection for cool, classy girls. If that makes you think of Downton Abbey s Cousin Matthew, you re on the right track, but Kayne s embrace of a theme is always gentle. Classic British fabrics like tweed and herringbone made appearances, but Fall was as influenced by Kayne s favorite decade, the nineties, as it was by manor living, so a digitized Prince of Wales check in burnt orange and blue was a cheeky modern update of an old trope. If that print, on a sheer blouse and slim matching pants, looked a little like Tetris (in a good way), a purple and pale chartreuse floral print was all girly garden party. The blooms came on a long, navy, bias-cut skirt and sheer, sexily slouchy top that, worn together, passed for a dress.
The idea of matching sets carried over to cocktails, a reflection of Kayne s personal preference. "I m totally into separates for evening," she said. "I like the idea of offering something chic that s not a dress." A to-the-floor black skirt, sheer but for a mini, curve-hugging underlay, came paired with an artfully revealing black tuxedo top, sleeves rolled to the elbow. That was alluring, but the conversation pieces were two skirts—one black, one white—made from a pouf of feathers. The model in the white one wore hers with a white mohair sweater; she looked entirely at home in the tony library of the Chatwal Hotel, lounging by the couch. "I call that my Clueless sweater," Kayne said, confirming it was mohair. "In a good way."
