"I was inspired by the anatomical buildings of the architect Santiago Calatrava," said Jasmine Al Fayed at her show. A lofty reference for a young designer who s best known for her louche cocktail dresses—and for being the daughter of Harrods owner Mohamed Al Fayed. But then, that s not the only change at the house of Jasmine Di Milo. First off, Al Fayed has switched from a late-night show to a civilized all-day affair at the Ritz. Then there s the redesigned label affixed to her creations—it s streamlined and simple, instead of dark and goth. And there was improvement in the clothes themselves. The collection is still rather narrowly focused on after-dark looks, but in place of flashy sequins and trashy sheer numbers, there were goddess gowns, trapezes, and sexy bandage dresses à la Hervé Léger. A few sportswear pieces like satin bombers even made it into the lineup. You can t call it high fashion yet, but you can say Al Fayed is growing up.
