Shaun Kearney showed his collection for Cynthia Steffe on mannequins at a cocktail party, hoping guests would be better able to take in the beadwork and embroidery they couldn t have seen on the runway (or feel comfortable ogling on an actual model). Handicraft and embellishments were key for Kearney this season, and he worked them through Spring s collection, which took the Steffe girl from safari country to the desert and, finally, to the tropics. Geometric patterns on a hand-braided fringe dress in black and khaki had that tribal edge that s so in right now. Scattered, colorful sequins on a T-shirt dress had a peeling paint effect, turning what could have been fussy into something simply fun. Wide-leg silk pants and a matching tee looked out of place amid the collection s more structured pieces, but by that point Kearney had moved on to warmer climes. A chiffon gown with a beaded waistband wasn t strikingly original, but it would look great next to a drink with an umbrella in it.
