Sally LaPointe s clothes certainly have a moody edge. But they ve become less dramatic, and in turn more beautiful, as she sharpens her point of view. For Fall, she started with Charles Bukowski s poem "Bluebird," taking the writer s words literally and figuratively. LaPointe s idea, culled from the context of the poem, was to show that there was "a delicacy within even the harder-edged pieces," she said backstage after the show.
The designer s personal style is a little goth, and her clothes can read that way too. But other than a bomber made from pirarucu fish skin—an odd material to try, sure, but it had a nice feel—there was little of that hard edge LaPointe spoke of. Instead, the strength was found in the precise tailoring, whether it was a pair of black tuxedo trousers in silk-wool georgette, a pencil skirt in cognac-colored lambskin, or an elegant black cocktail dress overlaid with a cropped top that was pleated at the bust. These are the kinds of clothes that make a confident woman look even surer of her appearance.
The literal interpretation came in the form of a bluebird print, engineered by the tattoo artist Needles. LaPointe used it on a long, ivory silk-wool skirt and the finale number: a black bustier gown. It was also embroidered on the back of a wool overcoat in a soothing lavender-gray color that LaPointe is calling ice.
This was also a collection of firsts. Along with a fish-skin clutch, LaPointe introduced knits. It s surprising that she hasn t gone there before, mostly because they were so good. The chunky cashmere-wool turtlenecks—some plain, others with panels of fox fur—sort of pooled at the wrist and hip for a slouchy, deliciously cozy look.
Was this a breakthrough collection for LaPointe? Given that she envisions her woman as "powerful, but still feminine," it certainly felt like it. LaPointe designs for the luxury customer, and the collection had a worth-the-price feel.
