Just like last season, Ozwald Boateng s catwalk was so long that the models had no choice but to get a move on. Still, their haste seemed unnatural. Perhaps they sensed that some of the more curious outfits that Boateng sent out in this mixed collection weren t worth lingering over. The black-and-white palette and the prevailing air of formality—not to mention the trumpets some of the guys were carrying—suggested that the spiffiness of jazz legends might be a reference point for the clothes. But it s doubtful that Charlie Parker would ever have sported anything like the skimpy black bathing suit and tuxedo-vest combo.
A silvery, glazed linen suit had a right-for-now sheen, but it was oddly accessorized with a tight little bow tie. In fact, the accessories generally fought the collection. And proportions weren t ideal either: A three-piece linen suit was too tight; a knit polo had sleeves all the way to the elbow. And yet there were occasional glimmers of the right stuff, as in the effortlessly cool two-pleat checked pants that wouldn t have looked out of place on Gary Cooper. Perhaps Ozwald should just relax a little.
