They may still love rock n roll, but twins Daniela and Annette Felder have considerably softened their look in the past few seasons. Their Spring collection continued that work. With its frosty sherbet colors and flippy skater-skirt silhouettes, the Felders brand of femininity has a prettiness to it. To retain an edge while toeing more commercial ground, they flirted with a near-dangerous level of sexiness. Some of that frisson was optional, like the models slightly damp, back-combed hair and the skinny leather and gold-chain harnesses strapped around otherwise innocuous little chiffon dresses. But some—like the sheer webby knit and ice blue metallic leather mini—required a real commitment.
For toughening things up, the Felders turned to the slightly less-than-inspired idea of hardware in sharp gold studs and rows of long bugle beads that suggested armor or artillery. They used a light touch; it may not even register in pictures. You could understand the reasons behind using the stuff sparsely: Negotiating the line between commerce and statement can be tricky. But at times, you just wanted them to go for it. Sometimes, after all, it pays to let it fly.
