Generously embellished frocks and kicky separates are what Alice + Olivia has built a growing business on (fifteen boutiques and counting), but for the brand s Pre-Fall offering, designer Stacey Bendet was keen to showcase something else: "Everyone knows about our party dressing, but this was about showing our tailoring." And while high-brow, Helmut Newton-esque androgyny this ain t, the line s flirtation with menswear is an agreeable one. Bendet paid homage to her husband s slacks with a slimmer take on the peg-leg trouser. A blazer and trenchcoat featured a sweeping, feminine peplum and skirt, respectively. A particular standout was a suit in gray pinstriped wool flannel with a peplum top and mannish pants that would have made Katharine Hepburn proud.
There was an emphasis on transitional dressing, not only of the summer-to-fall variety, but also day to night. Catering to the "New York City girl who s working all day and running around at night," Bendet outfitted A-line dresses with plunging backs, and teamed them with smart little jackets to be doffed after hours. The va-va-voom factor of an otherwise modest sleeveless black sheath skyrocketed thanks to a decidedly PG-13 slit and a close-fitting ponte knit.
It was an offering largely bereft of A+O s usual jewel tones, but there was plenty of cream, red, and camel (though the latter was an appropriately "off" camel that bordered on mustard). Lest Bendet s fan base thinks things are getting too staid, there were girlish bows galore, in intarsia trompe l oeil or dappling a black pullover, and even a pair of beaded unicorn d Orsay flats.
