In the late 1990’s, Daryl Kerrigan’s famously skinny trousers and cool post-punk vibe made her a downtown darling with real crossover appeal. After a two-year absence from the runway (following business troubles, the closing of her stores, and the birth of her second child), hers was one of the week’s more eagerly anticipated shows.
Maybe Kerrigan was rusty from all that time off, but her spring collection was a low-spirited affair. She made the layered look—specifically, cut-and-slashed T-shirts and sweats—the core of her show, sending out dozens of variations on the theme of ripped, stitched, and ruched tops, worn alone as minidresses or over those signature slim-cut pants. The palette was resolutely urban, in shades of gray and black with occasional flashes of pink and red. A few tailored pieces, like neat jackets cut from sweatshirt material, a sharp-shouldered black cotton jacket, and black satin vests and parkas showed some of the label’s erstwhile, sexy spark. But overall, the audience was left craving the variety of Kerrigan’s former incarnation.
