Gilles Mendel s latest show kicked off today with a bang. Inspired by Dorothy Draper, the original queen of American interior design, Mendel concocted a range of savvy, fresh-looking dresses featuring vertical stripes in bold color combinations. The dresses had a cool geometry to them, courtesy of both the stripes and Mendel s clean silhouettes and sharp pleating. They were winners.
The show lost some steam after that. The sportswear—mainly slouchy trousers and crisp silk shirting—was well-executed, but failed to make much of an impression. And Mendel s gowns and cocktail dresses this season were nicely done, sexy things slit all over, but they didn t exert any real pull beyond that. (Nevertheless, Hollywood starlets will be fighting over them for red-carpet appearances.) The collection perked up again with the appearance of a couple of short looks in an abstract brushstroke print that had been crusted all over with sequins; taut and asymmetrically hemmed, they were atypically edgy for Mendel. Overall, this was a slick show, likably frou-free and full of solid, accessible dresses that will be snapped up by Mendel s VIP clientele.
