After showing in London for the past five years, Sass Bide made a triumphant return to New York fashion week (it s in good company, with fellow Aussies Dion Lee and Zimmerman also joining the NYFW calendar). The move was well timed, as the opening of the label s first stateside flagship will be on Broome Street in late November. As usual, the message was in the mix this season. "You can t put the collection in any particular category," said designers Heidi Middleton and Sarah-Jane Clarke backstage. "It s a considered clash—a polished confusion." Combining masculine and feminine elements, they styled sharp satin blazers with flowing Swiss dot tulle skirts; slouchy suits featuring floral embroidery details came with sheer, fluttering trains attached to the pants. Meanwhile, the S&B duo paired a structured, almost armor-like, bustier top with relaxed trousers, and updated a peplum minidress in basket-woven leather. Other standouts here included a houndstooth-printed skort (reversed with the shorts in front and skirt flap in back) as well as cream-colored gowns and jumpsuits decorated with gold hand stitching and tough hardware. The resulting modern mash-up should resonate with girls who refuse to put a label on their sense of style.
