Lisa Perry often finds inspiration in the fine art she collects. For Pre-Fall, however, the idea was a bit more, um, basic. There is a lot of construction happening around the designer s Madison Avenue store on the Upper East Side, and the workers brightly colored, reflective uniforms caught her eye. "It s totally not sexy," said Perry. "But it s so exciting, I can t breathe." Her fervor was generally warranted. The collection, sexy or not, was on point, taking her most famous silhouette—the exaggerated A-line circle dress—and rendering it in neon brights or black with strips of neon across the chest or back. A checkerboard decal decorated the skirt of a white tank dress, while chevron stripes walked up the side of a black version. Much of the collection was done in what Perry is calling "techie satin," including a pair of narrow trousers with a bit of electric blue peeking out at the ankle. Everything was fun and jazzy and not too serious, down to the unexpected—but far from absurd—crossword-puzzle print on an A-line windbreaker and matching dress.
