Small details that translate into big effects have become Behnaz Sarafpour's stock in trade. For spring, as with her lovely resort collection, that little feature was lace. It appeared as trimming on an orange cloque sheath, as a hand-tatted neckline on a silk shell, and for evening, as a collar that dressed up model Lisa Cant's ribbed tank and tiered evening skirt considerably.
But this wasn't a one-note show. Polka-dot georgette and animal-print silk livened up the mostly black-and-white palette. The textured chiffon she called "gingham" in her program notes made a seen-a-million-of-them drawstring blousy top stand out. And tattoo embroidery turned a simple silk tweed dress into something truly special. As for silhouettes, her cropped double-face wool jackets looked a little boxy and big in the puffed shoulders, but she showed the season's most-elegant shorts, in knee-grazing silk. For after dark, she went long and narrow, as is the trend.
Sarafpour's followers will remember that last September she showed her collection on the main floor of Tiffany. This time around, she accessorized with chokers, bracelets, and rings from the competition across the street, Van Cleef & Arpels. Perhaps there's a jewelry line in the future for the designer, who clearly knows how to make an outsize statement with the smallest of things.
