The Jill Stuart show always draws a large contingent of Japanese press and buyers—apparently, according to one of the editors on hand today, thanks to the kawaii quality of the designer's aesthetic. Translation: the sweet, pretty values that encompass everything from the models (always innocent-looking) to Stuart's penchant for everything decorative.
Stuart worked a fresh, amethyst palette for fall, showcased most attractively in an ombré peasant-style skirt made of strips of variously hued lace. Also noteworthy were snug equestrian jackets and the first look, a velvet coat cinched tightly at the waist with a beautifully embroidered wide belt. Her use of pretty French fabrics, like a red and white toile and an eighteenth-century-style silk floral, tied in with the current craze for all things Marie Antoinette, though a slightly panniered purple toile dress went astray. As a whole, the collection was a grab bag: Anna Karenina (Cossack coat) meets National Velvet, with a dash of Lanvin (a sequined sage peasant blouse) and Madame Grès (the finale's goddess dresses) thrown in for good measure.
