Monique Lhuillier does "pretty" very well, but for Fall she wanted to give her collection a darker edge. "A bold, dramatic twist," was how she described it. To achieve that, she looked to a foreboding reference: the skull. Although in general, Lhuillier s skulls were so subtle one would have to be told they were there to catch them. Look closely enough, and they could be found in the embroidery of a gold lace bolero, which was paired with a matching strapless cocktail dress, as well as a lace-and-tulle mini that went from white to Barbie pink at the collar.
The skull was more obvious on a digitally printed neoprene dress. In that case, the rendering wasn t lovable, but the silhouette—a high neck and a bell sleeve with a midi trumpet skirt—was. Worn with a pair of current-looking mules, it would have fared better in plain black. Indeed, Lhuillier s LBD—a fitted, mid-calf style with a slight sweetheart neckline—blew away her grander gowns. The ball-skirt styles—black, embroidered with fuchsia baroque flowers—will please her loyal eveningwear customers, but the real red-carpet standout was a blush-colored beaded number with long, sheer sleeves and a high-low hem. It was pretty, yes, but worn with little blush lace booties of Lhuillier s own design, it was also irresistible. And the designer knew it. "I had to throw one angel in there," she said.
