Is there a special school in Australia where they teach designers to make the perfect scuba dress? If so, Josh Goot must have been a star student there. The Sydney-based designer showed more than a few ace scuba dresses for Pre-Fall, not to mention his handful of likewise body-hugging separates in a waffle-textured technical fabric and floral-print tops redolent of surfer girls' rash guards. This felt like a very Australian collection—no accident, given that Goot, looking ahead to his label's 10th anniversary next year, has been in a reflective mood and reexamining his brand DNA. His signatures were here in spades—the luxe baseball jackets, the eye-catching digital prints, the boyish shirting. All of this was executed with a light touch—indeed, some of his more gossamer looks, like a sheer black dress with a swath of printed silk wrapping coyly around the body, were so barely there they seemed as if they might float away. That was a welcome development; Goot was getting a touch monumental with his fabric bonding for a while there. The sculptural approach remained, notably in this season's folding and wrapping, but the clothes felt much more approachable. A case in point was the collection's standout look, a cropped button-down with a curved hem paired with a floral-print georgette skirt with tiered ruffles falling down one side. The play with shape and proportion was apparent, but only just. That's a good tone for Goot to strike as he embarks on his second decade.
