Not only was the late Lee Radziwill one of Martin Grant’s early supporters, the two developed a friendship that lasted more than 20 years. “She’s always a part of it somewhere,” the designer said during a showroom visit. “The test point became: Would she like it or not?” Radziwill never missed a show, and she would tell Grant exactly what she thought. “She went through every period, and she would wear them all—even Zandra Rhodes, if you can imagine,” he recalled.
Grant reckons Radziwill might have liked his ’60s-inflected white blouson with mirror leather trim for Fall. But overall he decided on a looser vibe. Take, for example, the reversible trench with black-and-white check on one side, bonded with a glossy russet coating on the flip side. “I wanted something that was a little more dynamic,” the designer explained. That same check returned on A-line skirts and in a cropped bomber. Further along, he decided to amp things up a bit, pairing a russet duchesse satin pantsuit with a violet sequined shell, or else showing that shimmering shell with a fuchsia pantsuit. Improbable as it sounds, it worked.
Grant is a poised, considered designer: His sharp suit shot through with Lurex is the kind of piece that never goes out of style. Ditto the wisp of an asymmetrical silver top. So it came as something of a surprise to see him working a harder, frankly impertinent edge. A handful of numbers with petrol-finish sequins were smart, sophisticated, and flattering; the shocker of a punch line came in a one-shoulder/one-leg catsuit. “It takes me back to Debbie Harry days,” the designer joked. Throw on that burgundy shearling coat and you’re ready to hit the town. Radziwill it was not. “She was always very positive, but would have found that one completely ridiculous,” Grant said with a laugh.
