Samu-Jussi Koski s clothes are simply too cozy to ever be hostile, but there was a certain standoffishness to his Fall collection. The designer s muse was Marja-Liisa Vartio, the Finnish poet whom Koski describes as mysterious and fiercely independent, and who died at age 41. And indeed, based on his characterization of the writer, there was a lot of Vartio to these pieces. Here was an unapologetically—but also uninsistently—quirky collection with a lot of soigné appeal.
As in past seasons, the Samuji woman can be found physically carving out space in her day-to-day with high-volume silhouettes, be it boxy outerwear or a full circle skirt. There was an almost armor-like quality to the Fortuny-pleated skirt on one standout dress; this being a Samuji outing, its hem trailed just enough threads to save it from feeling too precious or anachronistic. The designer s latest trials with custom patterns yielded four bold, arty prints, but every bit as strong were his understated staple pieces: a camel robe coat, buttery soft knits. One gets the sense that the Samuji woman—whether a poetess or a graphic designer—has better things going on than tirelessly mixing and matching her days away.
