"Not everyone wants to wear leather, tulle, and knit," said Graeme Armour, explaining the much lighter turn he took for Spring. That sounds like a line straight from a retailer s mouth, and Armour is wisely heeding a buyer s perspective as he focuses the energies of his young label on sales.
That s not to say that this three-year Alexander McQueen alum wasn t also focused on ideas in his second New York collection, which, he explained, took its cues from sixties Balenciaga and Courrèges. Armour has long been fascinated by clothes that are a sort of facade, different from front to back, and he explored that theme here. The notion of a butcher s apron was turned into a dress that looked like a midi-length sixties shift coming but revealed a short black skirt and crisscross halter going.
That s the piece for a photo shoot, but in terms of those coveted sales, the front-back concept found more success in a pair of black satin shorts. They appeared plain from the back but in front were covered with flat razored ruffles, helping them pass as a skirt. The proceedings weren t entirely leather-free. Armour s take on motorcycle chic—a cropped suede jacket and a black leather skirt, both paired with crisp white shirts—immediately drew the eye. It would have the same effect on a retailer s rack. Expect to see this designer popping up there by and by.
