Jenny Packham is an eveningwear specialist who has built her business on satin gowns dripping in beads and handmade embellishments. For Pre-Fall, she stuck to her familiar codes; despite the season s "buy now, wear now" reputation, Packham isn t going to start making jeans and sweaters anytime soon. Her version of pared-back, year-round elegance came in the form of ombré ball skirts and silk pajama pants, both of which could be styled with one of the collection s crystallized knits (or your own white T-shirt). The abstract, leopard-ish beading on a few champagne dresses was noteworthy—it was a modern move away from her signature geometric designs. A girl can only buy so many art deco gowns. Packham filled in the rest of the collection with a slew of red-carpet numbers in mermaid-teal, crimson, and deep violet. Those were nice, if somewhat predictable. In the end, Packham was most successful when she kept things simple, like the black V-neck dress with soft ruffles down the bodice. The less-is-more approach and easy silhouette will appeal to lots of women; its jeweled velvet bow added just the right amount of pretty.
