In nearly five years at Calvin Klein, Francisco Costa has proven that he's the most precise of designers, and his Fall collection was almost regimental in its discipline. The models were nearly makeup-free, their hair pulled back in severe ponytails, and the clothes were just as uncompromising.
After Spring's dress-heavy lineup, Costa zeroed in on tailoring, opening with a cashmere mantle coat in deepest navy that topped a fitted shirt and a straight-line skirt. Their clean surfaces set an austere mood from which the designer hardly deviated. A color-blocked A-line shift followed a collarless jacket worn with pencil-thin leggings, and an overscale, boxy men's jacket followed an asymmetrical, away-from-the-body boiled wool dress. Two coats, one single-breasted, the other double (not that there was a button or closure to be seen), were deceptively simple and simply beautiful. Other toppers were razor-cut at the lapels to reveal a flash of what the model was wearing underneath.
Costa has had a big year, crisscrossing the globe several times to promote the brand and cultivating important celebrity relationships along the way. Liv Tyler, who was to co-host his after-party at the Waverly Inn, sat front and center, next to Ali Larter. It's curious, then, that the designer showed only three special-occasion dresses: accordion-pleat gowns that draped from one shoulder or dipped low in front. Their metallic silk glittered under the runway lights, but it wasn't quite enough to generate real fashion excitement. Indeed, the audience for a collection as rigorous as this may be limited. Still, fans of Costa's brand of minimalism came away more than satisfied.
