It girl-deejay may be the ultimate gig going these days, and it was that mold which Jill Stuart embraced as the inspiration for today s outing (though it s worth noting that the pro manning the turntables, Brendan Fallis, was missing an X chromosome). The designer promised party clothes with a splash of edge, and, indeed, her offerings in general have swayed a bit more to the downtown in recent seasons. If there have been any doubts as to just how influential Nicolas Ghesquière s work since his Louis Vuitton debut has been, Stuart s Fall collection put them swiftly to rest—though she s far from New York s only culprit. From model Julia Bergshoeff s opening look to the moment closer Kate Grigorieva stalked off, there was a whole lot of Ghesquière going on here. The glossy oxblood pieces, the A-line minis teamed with turtlenecks and boxy little jackets, and the curved heels of the boots all felt a little derivative. Stuart s more winning items, like her signature party dresses in black velvet or pinstriped metallic separates, hit their own stride and were stronger for it. Here s hoping we ll find more of that stride from Stuart come spring.
