The Séeberger brothers—street-style photographers, albeit of the early twentieth century, rather than the early twenty-first—gave Jason Wu his jumping-off point for the season. (This was only his second pre-fall collection, by the way, and already more than twice the size of his first.) The duo snapped photos of demimondaines posing as gamely in their self-styled finery as any latter-day contender like Giovanna Battaglia or Caroline Sieber, and their era provided a reference point for the thirties-inspired separates and Art Deco details that ran through this solid collection.
The palette here was moodier than Spring's, almost overcast: Even pop colors like salmon and violet were tinged with gray. Picking through current trends, Wu offered a silk shirt, color-blocked knits and dresses, and moments of militaria and menswear—all gussied up, of course, with ladylike flair. A cotton twill parka was detailed along the back and sleeves with lace and glittering beads. The "basic shirt" chez Wu? It's lace. The "houndstooth" striping on skirts and dresses? Actually a mini floral print. There were ruffle-skirted party dresses for the longtime devotees, but increasingly, sportswear—of the Geoffrey Beene variety, a designer he mentions frequently—is Wu's bag. And speaking of those: The accessories launched last season are back, with two new handbag shapes and several cigarette-heeled shoe styles, too.
