Anyone devoted to Costume National and its spare, severe aesthetic will know not to look for swimwear and caftans come Resort. Ennio Capasa uses the collection to reiterate his obsessions—New Wave, the nineties (a time in which, not coincidentally, Costume flew high). Tailoring is always important for Capasa, and so it was here, in fluid double viscose fabrications and classic menswear patterns. But from the other end of the spectrum, so were ultra-feminine bits like lingerie details peekaboo-ing out of a sheer paneled dress. (A similar cool effect with sheers was achieved with a sweater, whose metal-inflected knit was sheathed with a shadowy layer of organza to dull the shine.) An alphabet print by artist Kushida Shinichi was new, but the real news here is Costume National's expanding presence in the U.S. Its supersize Greene Street store (formerly the home of Moss, New York's legendary design store) is celebrating its first birthday soon. In the next two years, brand reps promised, it'll be joined by outposts in Miami and L.A.
