The Spanish model Eleonora Bose, who made her name in the early aughts modeling for a Tom Ford-run Gucci, opened the show sporting a cropped helmet of Crayola yellow hair. Bose's square-jawed, androgynous look was right in line with the spare silhouettes.
Words like "ecclesiastical" and "strict" are often applied to a Davidelfin collection, and adding to the mood of austerity this season was a black, white, and gray palette accented by pops of fuchsia and a shade that matched Bose's 'do. A lone print, taken from snakeskin, was a welcome relief from the monochrome.
As was the case with Spring (which featured pants hidden behind a skirt front, and a shirtdress disguised as a cardigan and top), designer David Delfin played with the reorganization of garments, literally cutting them apart and moving the leftovers to other pieces. What looked like part of a miniskirt attached to a pair of gray wool trousers was actually the end of a blazer, pockets and all, that had been chopped off at the waist and moved down. "If you see a cropped jacket," the designer said, "you will see the bottom of it appear somewhere else." Interesting concept, but the results were alternately severe or just odd.
Better was a sheath with a long blazer worn over the top; it was actually one piece that zipped up the back, with an overall slimming effect. A few flattering looks aside, there was an awkwardness to many of them (one model appeared positively hobbled by her coat-dress hybrid) that detracted from the strength of the tailoring.
