The first word out of Reed Krakoff's mouth at his pre-fall presentation this morning was uniform. He meant sports-influenced clothes and traditional Savile Row tailoring borrowed from his own wardrobe, but many of the results were just the kind of pieces you want to wear every day—chunky, multi-ply cashmere turtlenecks and slim chesterfield coats in alpaca cashmere blends. Your uniform.
Of course, Krakoff's ambitions go beyond the everyday. More and more, his studio is developing its own fabrications and prints. Take the gum rubber-dipped lace of a T-shirt dress (very cool) or the hand-painted and hand-lacquered python of a split-hem kilt skirt (very luxe). The ponyhair of one chesterfield was printed to look like an exotic skin and the mink of another was sheared so fine, the designer promised, it was very nearly weightless. A strapless bustier dress in signal yellow wool viscose was another strong development; most of the colors were more neutral. As always, Krakoff lavished attention on accessories. The standout at his showroom was a rubberized crocodile tote.
