Barbara Bui's personal evolution came from thinking primitively this season. It was clear as day in the prehistoric fossil patterning, and the python and printed leather jackets that mimicked a turtle's carapace. It was also evident in the way her statement ponchos draped like pelts and her leather Perfectos had been spliced with shaggy sleeves. The ivory knit leggings felt positively au naturel compared to Bui's typical polished black pants. Then, midway through the show, the designer ditched the turtlenecks and shifted gears to a night message in which she revisited two of her favorite themes: rock 'n' roll and sharp tailoring. The former played out in swirls of shiny studs from jacket collar right down to boot tip; the latter, as a lengthened jacket exposing the thigh and a suit in a neoprene-nylon blend (here, the pants were wider and low-slung).
Was there a link between day and night? Yes, if you consider Bui's overall attention to technical detail. In a single coat, lamb's wool appeared sheared, furry, and fuzzy and had been embroidered to create a paneling effect. On a jacket, strategically placed zippers allowed pieces to be detached, producing a moto-bolero. Of course, it helped that Karlie Kloss was wearing the shaggiest coat of them all; anyone else might have looked like a primate. Along the continuum running from Bui's oversize cable sweaters to her gauzy side-ruched chiffon blouses, her subtlest tweaks made the strongest impact.
