Bally creative director Pablo Coppola laid firm groundwork at his women's accessories and ready-to-wear debut last February, realigning the century-and-a-half-old Swiss brand with its reputation for timeless luxury. Today he loosened up a bit, building on the classic sensibility and silhouettes he introduced last season with a new sense of ease. "When I looked back at Fall, I felt that things were a bit strict," he said. The big surprise was the denim—patchworked, cuffed, and boyfriend slouchy. If it's unlikely that women will think of Bally when they're shopping for their next pair of jeans, it was easy to like the attitude conveyed by the denim, as well as the unstructured blazers and chunky sweaters paired with it.
Naturally, Coppola made extensive use of exotic skins, but for every polished croc Perfecto and sleeveless python shift, there were less-extravagant pieces that caught the eye: full, mid-calf leather skirts in bottle green or burgundy, an off-white cotton canvas trench bonded to black leather on the inside, a smart double-breasted pantsuit in soft pink. Chic wardrobe workhorses, all. In contrast, the lawn-stripe dress was a tad more flamboyant, but it worked. That element of fun extended into the accessories. The Corner bag (so named because one of its corners is slashed off) and its brethren were as gimmick- and doodad-free as last season, but now they're coming in electric bright colors.
