Sci-fi futurism has hijacked the good sense of many a designer this season, but Costume National s Ennio Capasa managed to avoid that trap. Though he showed his fair share of metallics and holograms, he came up with a concise collection that was more jet set than space-age chic. His strong suits have always been a sense of realism and an awareness of what s sexy, and for spring he concentrated on the silhouettes in which he s always specialized—the sleek, sharp pantsuit (this time with an elevated waist), the abbreviated cocktail dress, the trench. Foundation established, he then added a silver leather belt, say, or harness detailing as reflective as high-polished chrome.
Beyond the great outerwear—from a streamlined cream cape to an uncomplicated silver leather trench—there were some evening missteps, though. A sheer, hooded gown with slits up the side, for example, might ve been killer in a knit jersey, but as it was, it could never walk off the runway. His cone-heeled slingbacks, meanwhile, came a little too close for comfort to those that appeared on the YSL runway a year ago. Overall, though, this show had more of that familiar Costume National edge than his last couple of outings.
