Monique Lhuillier seems to be entering a blue period. After a body-hugging, athletic Spring show that found her working largely in cobalt and indigo, for pre-fall, she revisited the color, offering wasp-waisted cocktail fare and a few of her voluminous red-carpet confections in shades of royal. Here, they were joined by black, cream, and a hit of lavender, as well as some retro but still snappy tweeds. The message at Lhuillier has lately been as much about day as about night, and she created plenty of options that could err to the dressy side of office life. (Though wearing your tweed skirtsuit with only a lace bustier, as shown here, will earn you a trip to HR.) Craftily, the designer offered ways to bring day into night, like a long lace cardigan of sorts that, when worn over any of her simpler frocks, dials the glamour up considerably. And blue mood or not, it's hard to imagine she's not smiling at the prospect of her first New York store, opening on Madison Avenue this March.
