Go East, young man. Fall's Halston Heritage outing took its cues from Roy Frowick's 1980 trip to China, where he became the first American designer to put on a fashion show. The label's present-day designer, Marie Mazelis, isn't one to ever borrow too plainly from the Halston vernacular, so rather than looking at the clothes Halston showed that September day in Peking, Mazelis made it work for her in the form of a subtle Eastern influence. A mandarin collar here, a brushstroke print there, a handful of abstracted obi belts—all were welcome additions to the lineup. On the whole, there were some more decisive moves here. Mazelis punched up the brand's usually neutral palette (the effect of which is sometimes fatiguingly office-appropriate) with scattered jewel tones, and turned an eye to what she dubbed "minimalist extravagance"—simple pieces for day and night in luxe fabrications. A gold gown came in two-sided sequins so that, say, the brush of a hand or slipping into the back of a cab would leave it with a prettily roughed-up finish. That one looked ready-made for Charlize Theron, recently spotted in a Halston Heritage number on the red carpet.
