Collage is a recurring theme in Julian Louie s work, and this season he turned exclusively to piecework. A dress in silk tassar—more grain and less sheen than regular silk—had a color-blocked top and a pleated taffeta skirt in bands of contrasting shades. With its dropped waist emphasized by the shift in fabrics and colors, it looked a bit like a very awesome tennis dress. Lush florals were another part of the story, and Louie developed his prints by manipulating photos he d taken at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Sure, they d been Photoshopped, but you wouldn t think something so wild could grow in the metropolis. Spliced up and patched in next to one another, the grasses and magnified petals had a palpable energy; they looked ready to burst out of the linear shifts and T-shirt dresses Louie had contained them in. Cloglike wedges (not suitable for gardening), some in the same floral print, were the result of another collaboration with Aldo; if they prove as popular as last Spring s ikat wedges, we imagine both designer and shoe retailer will be pleased. And for Louie s customer? There are standout dresses and cool separates here to make her happy. Though similar, each of these 15 looks packs a pretty punch.
