A trio of unrelated artists provided print inspiration for Cacharel's latest offering. The "Torn Flower" motif took its cue from Lucio Fontana, who famously slashed his canvases to ponder the space inhabited by art. An enlarged face, all but blurred beyond recognition, began as a Sarah Moon portrait. A swirling Impressionist wash of blues and yellow could be traced to Cézanne. Together, they suggested that Cacharel's design team was applying a more enlightened eye to the brand, which continues to reestablish its presence in the contemporary category.
Dresses represented the key offering, and the strongest among them were streamlined baby-doll and dropped-waist T-shirt styles in double crepe. Print-lined coats made up the other focus and largely favored modified masculine shapes to balance the girly spirit elsewhere.
Otherwise, there was an appealing mix of distilled directional trends (cropped sweaters with widened trousers) and elevated fabrics (one standout being a mohair lace). Currently, Cacharel seems hypersensitive to pricing, and most of the outerwear will cost little more than two months' membership at a boutique gym (overall, prices will be 25 percent lower for Fall). But then a printed Fontana-style parka lined in rabbit fur and trimmed with raccoon served as confirmation that the brand is still capable of higher-end pieces. And the fact that Cacharel has yet to reclaim its cult status works in the customer's favor—you can wear one of the art prints and actually feel unique.
