Cinq à Sept founder Jane Siskin takes a no-nonsense approach to Pre-Fall, considering it a simple precursor to the Fall clothes soon to come. It makes sense for the brand, which is known for somewhat seasonless day clothes anyway: There is always a floral slip, a novelty pant, an easy wrap top, and so on.
On paper, Pre-Fall was a “mix of the Victorian era and modern grunge,” a formula that has been explored many times before. That produced a number of corsets—as embroidered leather bustiers and twill wrap belts—and puff-sleeved blouses with tightly ruched sleeves and square necklines. Those tops were layered beneath matching mid-calf dresses with a flounced hem, most notably in a bright orange shade called caramel. There were also patchwork floral prints and ruffled gray flannel to hit the necessary aesthetic beats. Elsewhere, one noticed a black jacket with fox fur sleeves that felt uncomfortably close to a Sandy Liang creation, worn over the type of white slogan tee that had been compared to Dior when it surfaced for Spring 2018. There lies the danger of staying too neatly on trend—finding fresh ground for Fall might help yield something stronger.
