Christian Wijnants began to come into his own this evening. This wasn't a collection that made you want to stand up and applaud, but it had all the makings of what a Wijnants collection should be: a painterly palette, relaxed yet elevated silhouettes, and lots of textural interest—particularly in the designer's signature innovative knits. Per the latter, Wijnants had some really great examples on the runway this season, a relief after he almost totally eschewed knitwear last time out. Black, graphic gray, and white 3-D intarsias were highlights here, as were the variegated knit fisherman's sweaters. There was a similar collage effect at work in his silk print dresses, the best of which had the patchwork look of quilts. Speaking after the show, Wijnants said he had, in fact, devoted serious consideration to blankets of all kinds, hence the fuzzy, blanket-y mohair sport shorts and tees and the peak-collar blanket coats. There were also quilted minidresses and rolled-up trousers, though you do wonder how viable those looks would be on women with nonmodel bodies. All in all, though, this collection marked a real leap forward for Wijnants; it felt like a wardrobe, and it articulated a reasonably specific and coherent point of view. Plus, you've just got to admire a designer who understands the modern, stressed-out woman's desire to crawl under some lovely blankets and get some sleep.
