It's the second time there's been a rhapsody in blue on the runway this season, though the one at Aquascutum was in quite a different key from the Gershwin reference that played at Marc Jacobs. Save for the opening passage, this was a collection done almost entirely in blues—a color spectrum that's been preoccupying Michael Herz since his pre-Spring show. It's apparently had a calming and softening effect on him and the clothes. "Really," he remarked, "all I want is for everything to be easy."
That was a good place to start for a line that needs to appeal to women professionals rather than to a closed claque of fashion fiends. Herz brought a fresh air to Aquascutum's outerwear, turning out trenches in parachute silk. Vertical pleats and the odd floating panel, meanwhile, broke up the symmetry of sheaths. Although he loves to manipulate fabric and print, Herz is probably most innovative when he keeps things simple. On that score, it was a long, lean, incredibly elegant jersey pantsuit that looked newest and most convincingly aimed at his target audience.
