Do lobsters feel pain? What happens when we die? Is one polka dot a polka dot, or is it just a circle? These are a few of the philosophical questions raised by Tsumori Chisato s typically eclectic, but unusually chic, new collection. The fact that this collection made heavy use of a lobster motif—part of a larger marine reference—was par for the rather surreal Chisato course. Ditto the fact that the designer decided to elaborate the aquatic stuff with a friendly ghost print, and graphic checks and stripes that looked hand-painted. No, the strange thing here was the sophistication of Chisato s silhouettes. There was something imposing about her capes, and the dresses with long, slender bodices and fanning tails of ruffles or pleats, and a couple of lapel-free coats with patchwork waves of gold. A red peplum top with crystal-embroidered lobsters was really quite natty, as was an ocean blue quilted jacket with lobsters clawing at its oversize buttons. Inevitably, this Tsumori Chisato woman was a bit of an oddball, but she was an oddball with class.
