City girl goes to the mountains and winds up with more than just her head in the clouds. That was the theme Commuun s Kaito Hori and Iku Furudate established for Spring. The show began with sporty separates like tanks, windbreakers, and track pants accessorized with oversize backpacks and canvas belts with plastic snap-in buckles. There was also the occasional runway-only harness binding a model s rear end. As the girls made their way up the imaginary hill, the clothes took on volume; an electric blue parachute silk peplum decorated a crinkly silver minidress, and a simple sleeveless shift in a red grid jacquard was finished at the hem with a drawstring, like a parka. The cocktail dresses that closed the show came (you guessed it) with cloudlike billows spilling down one side or floating out nearly an arm s length beyond the bodice. If most of them looked too avant-garde for their own good, the final two, one in black and the other white, had crossover potential. What s most impressive about Commuun is how everything is made with organic materials. As the designers put it themselves, "The true challenge was using natural fabric for high-tech looks, instead of synthetic." And it s not just an exercise; Saks recently started selling the Japanese label.
