Sophie Buhai and Lisa Mayock have new business partners in Li Fung (the global trading group that backs Rachel Zoe, among other brands), but the arrangement hasn t altered their approach to their eight-year-old Vena Cava label. Young women familiar with the designers modern-vintage sensibility will recognize the forties-by-way-of-the-seventies silhouettes—the strong shoulders, the high waists, the maxi lengths. Buhai and Mayock cited 1970 s neo noir films, "even Drive," as inspiration this season, specifically those movies "sunny facades and dark undertones." Mostly, though, the light won out here. The lineup s most resonant pieces came in a graphic floral print—vibrant yellow and turquoise on a ground of black. And there was optimism, too, in a black crepe tuxedo with big gold studs, the jacket of which featured a zip above the hips. With tails or without, the girl who wears it is practically guaranteed to be the life of the party. Tailoring plays a bigger role than ever in this VC collection, which should serve Buhai and Mayock well given the direction of the season as a whole. Still, it s their way with a little dress that s gotten them this far. For Fall, the standout comes in marigold, with a nipped waist and short sleeves.
