When Vivienne Westwood was complimented recently on last season's Red Label showing, she replied with typical can't-help-herself candor that she actually had nothing to do with it. In which case, whoever is channeling her is doing a pretty good job of duplicating her signature. The corseting, the asymmetry, the tartans, the tailoring, the general air of wanton womanliness that is personified by Pamela Anderson, the new face of the business…they can all be found in Red Label.
This particular edition went slack toward the end with one too many asymmetrically draped jersey dresses, which looked cheap. But before that moment, a tweed jacket with dimpled shoulders, a poncho-dress hybrid (droncho?) in olive green, and some capacious hooded winter wraps had an air of downplayed drama. The collection offered its own twist on the perennial naughty schoolgirl look with a tiny striped jacket and fiercely tailored pants (better make that "naughty schoolboy"). The invitation was a school report card. Seeing the sun is shining, we'll give this effort a B-.
