There are two ways of looking at pre-fall in terms of what it means in the great relay race of fashion. A designer can follow through on designs from the season before, but also perhaps start trying out ideas that will determine the look of the next show. In YSL's extensive new collection, Stefano Pilati had plenty of scope for both. The follow-throughs were easy to identify: Take, for instance, the rose motif that was shrunken and woven into jacquards on soft suits, three-quarter coats, and strapless dresses, or a group of charcoal gray double-breasted coat-dresses and suits that touched on the militaria trend.
Anyone with a hankering for rushing ahead will, however, want to study Pilati's ankle-length A-line skirt, wide-leg pants, and draped wrap satin dress. Whether the Saint Laurent seventies that these pieces referenced is a fleeting transitional moment or something Pilati will commit to for Fall, they were the most interesting pieces in the collection.
