The penthouse of the St. Regis is plenty fabulous, but the crush of people at Dennis Basso s presentation left the proceedings feeling slightly undignified. Basso and his Upper East Side posse are runway people; next season it would be smart to return to the tents. The format wasn t the only thing that was new. Basso, who s slowly been augmenting his statement furs with understated but still sumptuous daywear and cocktail dresses, went full-on evening this season. The dresses were bigger, the adornments were shinier, the fringe was fringier…. Basso s furs didn t stand a chance. But these are clothes for warm nights, so perhaps, as the designer pointed out, all you really need is a little broadtail capelet. As for the dresses, there were hits and misses. A body-skimming knee-length number with a hand-embroidered lace bodice and a gold and silver fringe skirt fell into the former category, while an assertive, full-skirted gown in sapphire blue—worn with a fur dyed to match—fell flat. The couture level of detailing on all the looks was impressive, but overall the collection missed the restraint Basso has shown in seasons past.
