Bryan Bradley’s first runway show as the sole name behind Tuleh (he and partner Josh Patner split earlier this year) was brief—only 27 looks. But it was a perfect demonstration of the skills that make him the go-to designer in the socialite stratosphere.
Bradley sent out lovely chiffon dresses in garden-party colors like lime, lilac, rose, and lemon yellow, and incorporated witty tailoring touches like extended cuffs and geometric topstitching on a trench coat. This designer has an unusually sure hand with colors and prints: He paired a pink silk polka-dot dress with a pink-and-white silk brocade coat; put silver lace over a pink gown; and paired a khaki trench with an aqua lace dress. It wasn’t all about chiffon, either. Bradley worked in some nifty new fabrics, like a khaki tweed shot through with silver thread for a boxy little jacket, and a black silk faille with white pindots for a mod coat.
Perhaps most importantly, Bradley knows the answer to a very important question: Just how much sexiness do his high-profile customers want? Answer: more than a hint, but less than a salvo. He strikes just the right balance via fluttering ruffles (fashion’s way of saying “yoo-hoo!”) in all the right places; lingerie details like seams picked out in attention-getting black leather; and a figure-friendly cut that flatters the female form, but never makes unreasonable demands. Just like the ideal man.
