Removing the pressure of a runway show can free up a designer to do his best work. That's what's happened to Albert Kriemler at Akris for pre-fall. Focusing on traditional yet timely shapes—like the trench, shrunken double-breasted jackets and high-waisted, full-legged trousers, and capes—he let the luxe fabrics that the Swiss label is famous for do all the talking. And speak to his patrician-class customers these materials will: the double-face cashmeres, the bonded leathers, the buttery suedes. His black wool tweed pantsuit qualifies as one of the sharpest of the season, but it wasn't all boardroom material. Akris has its sporty side, too; one smart highlight among the off-hours looks was a knit poncho (with sleeves, so it stays put) teamed with matchstick-thin pants.
