As collection précis go, Picasso never comes as too great a shock. More pleasantly surprising are occasions when his muses take center stage, and such was the case with Apiece Apart's Fall outing. The artist's lover (and artist in her own right) Francoise Gilot was one of the chief inspirations behind a vibrant, sophisticated outing that took its other cues from flamenco and the Basque country. Designers Starr Hout and Laura Cramer are vigilantly aware of the day-to-day needs of their customer. As such, outerwear got a lot of love here, in boiled bouclé coats and belted toffee-colored toppers. Those are the kind of investment pieces that their woman will want at the ready to team with their brand of basics, the hardy knits and crisp cottons they turn out to great success every season. Not too basic, though. Keeping an eye to the spirit of flamenco lent these clothes a lot of richness, in asymmetrical ruffles and bright pops of marigold and what Hout dubbed "Post-It pink." Bearing in mind their woman's wants from the office to after-hours (a cliché, but a worthy one), the pair asked themselves, What is our sexy? and came out on the other side with a tiered slipdress—sexy, yes, but with quirk to spare.
