For a furrier, Dennis Basso sure does have fun with Cruise season. His woman, draped in foxtail or not, almost always seems like she should be boarding a yacht off the coast of one island or another. This year, Basso was enamored with the tropics. "But not necessarily Carmen Miranda tropical," the designer quipped at a showroom appointment.
Indeed, there were no cornucopia headpieces to be found. Instead, Basso's woman-on-holiday will be dressed in a white chiffon column gown covered in black palm leaves, a T-shirt cocktail dress done up in tie-dyed organza, or a gathered halter-neck frock in a yellow-and-pink floral silk.
Still, fur remains the cornerstone of any Basso collection. Resort's highlight on that front was a cashmere jersey overcoat with a sable collar and oversize pockets made out of lace broadtail. But Basso has worked hard to refine his formalwear offerings, and the effort has paid off over the past few seasons. His customer might come to him for the soft stuff, but now there is a chance she'll leave with a slipdress.
