Removing the pressure of a runway show can free up a designer to do his best work. That s what s happened to Albert Kriemler at Akris for pre-fall. Focusing on traditional yet timely shapes—like the trench, shrunken double-breasted jackets and high-waisted, full-legged trousers, and capes—he let the luxe fabrics that the Swiss label is famous for do all the talking. And speak to his patrician-class customers these materials will: the double-face cashmeres, the bonded leathers, the buttery suedes. His black wool tweed pantsuit qualifies as one of the sharpest of the season, but it wasn t all boardroom material. Akris has its sporty side, too; one smart highlight among the off-hours looks was a knit poncho (with sleeves, so it stays put) teamed with matchstick-thin pants.
