Richard Chai has been hard at work. Since Fall, he s added to his roster two pre-collections: a recently completed pre-spring and a breakthrough Resort that scored him a first-time order from Bergdorf Goodman. Well, those long days in the studio have paid off. This Spring was the designer s most accomplished collection yet. Before the show, Chai laid out his agenda: giving city women a new, sophisticated way to dress. "It s not trend-driven," he explained. "It s more about timelessness and pure design." Chai worked in long, attenuated silhouettes in dusty, cool colors with a clear Belgian influence. It s a look that has just enough fashion for the mean streets without being liable to draw stares on the subway.
Lean but fluid floor-length skirts and dresses came with sporty pairings—a soft leather bomber, a long cotton-silk anorak. Those may be familiar staples, but Chai has a knack for adding subtle refinements, like the gentle pleats on a neckline or the elegantly slender racerback on everything from skinny knits to a daywear shift dress. Though suit jackets, also with lengthened proportions, were abundant, it was the array of white shirts in shadow-striped cotton (and one in a terrific bleached print) that stood out among the more tailored looks.
Chai carried his menswear notions into evening with a silk crepe waistcoat and pants followed by a trompe l oeil waistcoat gown. But the more he gets to know his customer, the more he realizes she s a sucker for his dresses, too. He offered her a lot to love in crepe shirtdresses and charmeuse shifts. This designer is growing up quite nicely.
