"All you writers in the room need to come up with a new word. Pre [as in pre-fall] is disgusting," Michael Kors announced at the beginning of a showroom presentation of his new collection today. As quick with crisp, neat basics as he is with quips, the designer turned out a sharply graphic, city-sleek lineup in a strong palette of white, black, red, and electric blue. For day, there was a "Faye Dunaway in Network" black leather shirtdress and a black shift with subtle blue trim at the shoulders and waistline. The latter was "for the woman who swears she s gonna wear color" but has a closet full of black.
On the more casual side: tapered and cropped pants worn with easy ribbed sweaters "to collect in every color" and striped T-shirts in the finest cashmere. Kors didn t offer a lot of evening options, but he was certain a red chiffon jersey number gathered at the bodice with a contrasting leather harness would be big in Hollywood: "It didn t walk down a runway, so it s not overexposed." On the accessories front, he showed "front-row boots" in knee-high print palomino ponyskin, harness bags that can be worn three ways "for everyone who s dividends didn t come through," and "Anne Slater sunglasses" with blue lenses. About the only thing he didn t deliver: a new name for this awkwardly titled season.
