Hard-edged glamour was Jason Wu's message last season. Like other designers we've seen this week, he's loosened things up considerably for Resort, elongating hems to below the knee and taking the accent off a nipped waist. His recent protestations about a dark side notwithstanding, the new lighter mood is a good fit for Wu.
Despite the high level of craft that went into a sleeveless dress made from basket-weave tweed and duchesse satin connected by beaded black chiffon palm leaves, it came off as quite effortless. "I wanted to do tropical, but as shadows," he said. It was likewise nice to see him reimagine his best-selling couture sweatshirt; this time around, it came in black with a satin back and a matching satin triangle below its crew neck, or with an embroidered tulle overlay. If Wu leaned too heavily on midriff-baring tops, he's not the only one to do so this season. They've begun to feel like a cliché, but he made up for it with some chicly practical outerwear, including a khaki toggle coat with a deep band of black leather at the hem, and a patent suede coat the same shade of green as the wallpaper at Indochine, one of his favorite haunts. Maybe the best look in the collection was a denim skirtsuit that he pointed out wasn't really denim at all but blue silk with a contrasting silk lining. "Nobody comes to me for a basic denim jacket," he said. In keeping with this notion, he amped up the drama for evening, showing his first formal ball gowns in a while. Kerry Washington nabbed the yellow one for the CFDAs earlier this week.
