Goga Ashkenazi is intent on making her rehab of Vionnet stick. She acquired this French heritage brand last year, and anybody who s spent time with her knows she s fabulously determined. Doubtless she ll eventually figure it out, but for every step forward today, she took another step back. On the one hand, Ashkenazi had managed to secure big-name models like Carolyn Murphy and Lily Donaldson; on the other, her catwalk was scattered with high walls that ended up obscuring the audience s view. There were moments when you could hear the photographers hooting in frustration.
More pertinently, let s get to the clothes. Ashkenazi had a clever idea in her men s cotton poplin shirts and shirtdresses, which she wrapped in cages of tulle plissé to give them a Vionnet spin. They looked interesting—crisp without being too businesslike. But what to make of the plissé bodysuits, the practical implications of which are quite limited? Or the men s white jersey T-shirts that she layered underneath draped tulle evening gowns? You could ascribe those to a misguided attempt at raising the label s cool factor. Ashkenazi was better off when she stayed closer to the Vionnet DNA. A pair of elegant asymmetrical evening gowns with draped backs that revealed their cotton jersey linings got at the ease she is aiming to convey here.
