Cynthia Rowley turned to seventies France for inspiration this Spring, conjuring a sporty but stylish tomboy. Of course, you can't talk about fashion of that particular decade and provenance without mentioning Yves Saint Laurent, and sure enough Rowley did: The second look down her runway was a cream suit with a long, lean jacket swinging open over slouchy trousers, a softer version of Le Smoking. It set the tone for a collection that also included long, narrow, and breezy silk dresses slit to the hip, and some lean fine knits, cinched at the waist and reaching to the knee. For the most part, Rowley mined this vein of sportif chic effectively, though she would have done well to eliminate some of the clutter. Piles of enamel jewelry in pastel tones and misplaced scarves and belts confused the message and weakened the overall look.
