After taking several seasons off the runways to raise a baby, this Australian designer set out to prove that she¿s capable of more than the beaded, lacy confections that¿ve made her a red carpet favorite. ¿You¿ll see a lot more daywear,¿ she said backstage. ¿And a new edginess, too.¿
It turns out that Collette Dinnigan is no slouch in the tailoring department. She showed this season¿s high-waisted, deep-cuffed trousers with a Peter Pan-collared chiffon shirt and a leather cummerbund. Other pants came hip-slung and tapered, with a slight crop. She also keyed into the trend toward special sleeves: batwings on jackets and teardrops on a brocade coat.
The trouble is, there weren¿t enough of these strong, sharp pieces in a mix that came off feeling a bit light on the day when Paris¿ big kids came out to play. The few cocktail dresses that she did show—a trapeze in a bejeweled floral lamé or an hourglass in gold lace—were unfortunately almost obscured by large knit scarves twisting elaborately around the models¿ necks. These details might be timely, but they were superfluous, and her stylist should¿ve been able to resist them.
Dinnigan didn¿t invent the concept of lingerie dressing, but she certainly put her stamp on it and popularized it in Hollywood. In a season of slipdresses, it would¿ve been nice to see her play more to her strength.
