Imagine, if you will, yonder a cowboy crossing a dusty plain. He s parched, his horse is parched, and he hasn t seen a soul for days. A figure shimmers in the distance, all cowboy hat and jet black curves.… And that, in a nutshell, was the vibe at Cushnie et Ochs today. What mirage would an avidly hetero cowboy conjure into existence? Karolina Kurkova, surely, in a ultra-tight bustier dress winking skin through black lace. Carly Cushnie and Michelle Ochs were not stinting on the sexy this season, that s for sure. The emphasis here was on cleavage, with the designers finding various ways to expose as much of it as possible. The results were mixed. A strapless velvet dress in teal, with a deep V sliced into the top, was just revealing enough. Ditto a chartreuse jumpsuit with a similar bustier. Elsewhere, though, Cushnie and Ochs exposed bras and super-duper low-cut necklines came off as impractical, to put it mildly. There were a few demure looks here, as well. A long-sleeve lace top paired with a full organza skirt in black was very pretty, and an all-leather skirt and pussy-bow blouse ensemble had an appealing sexy-secretary edge.
Ochs and Cushnie also took a nice jab at outerwear this season; their leather jacket and wrap coat were sharp looking and well executed, if not exactly paradigm-shifting. But sexy is their signature, and so it s only natural that they keep looking for new ways to push that body-con envelope. A more intense focus on fit is called for, however, as well as some additional measure of respect for the practical usefulness of these clothes. A breast popping out of a dress at a gala is no one s fantasy, except maybe a dying cowboy s.
