There are two ways of looking at pre-fall in terms of what it means in the great relay race of fashion. A designer can follow through on designs from the season before, but also perhaps start trying out ideas that will determine the look of the next show. In YSL s extensive new collection, Stefano Pilati had plenty of scope for both. The follow-throughs were easy to identify: Take, for instance, the rose motif that was shrunken and woven into jacquards on soft suits, three-quarter coats, and strapless dresses, or a group of charcoal gray double-breasted coat-dresses and suits that touched on the militaria trend.
Anyone with a hankering for rushing ahead will, however, want to study Pilati s ankle-length A-line skirt, wide-leg pants, and draped wrap satin dress. Whether the Saint Laurent seventies that these pieces referenced is a fleeting transitional moment or something Pilati will commit to for Fall, they were the most interesting pieces in the collection.
