Fashion Ticker: Adam and Lacoste

This article is from the archive of The New York Sun before the launch of its new website in 2022. The Sun has neither altered nor updated such articles but will seek to correct any errors, mis-categorizations or other problems introduced during transfer.

The New York Sun

Inside the rectory of the General Theological Seminary in Chelsea, Adam Lippes showed his line Adam, which was full of bright colors and translucent silks that contrasted sharply against the muted setting. Inspired by the bold hues at the Museum of Modern Art’s “Color Chart” exhibit, Mr. Lippes used a palette of cerulean, butter yellow, and bubblegum pink. Movement was emphasized by several pieces in feather-light fabrics. Models in tiered dresses and silk georgette tops walked toward a carved wooden altar at the end of the runway; with their ultra-sheer garments blowing about, it was anything but reverent. A long, bright blue dress with chiffon straps that tied at the lower back could be seen billowing around a model’s legs.

Other highlights included a cotton voile miniskirt cut to flare out and a short yellow strapless dress that draped, toga-like, across the body. Crocheted tunics and loosely knit white tops gave the collection a beachy feel, and a pair of silk overalls — one short, one long, and both translucent — were designed for those happy to bare some skin. A “kaleidoscope embroidered dress” was covered in purple, yellow, and pink beading. The collection was punctuated with lavender-colored patent leather wedge heels and gladiator sandals.

At the Lacoste show on Saturday, good things came in threes. Models walked the runway in trios, and the label’s creative director, Christophe Lemaire, presented a collection that revolved around three themes. For his sun-kissed spring-summer 2009 show, Mr. Lemaire drew inspiration from the childhood summer vacations he spent in the South of France, evoking a rural countryside on the runway enhanced by the sounds of chirping crickets.

The show began with looks from Lacoste’s high-end Club line, which featured close-fitting suits for men in crisp cotton chiffon and, for the women, flowing skirts with gathered pleats and floor-skimming hemlines. Dusty rose pink and various shades of olive, sepia, and burnt sienna gave tunics and crocheted tops a faded-by-the-sun look. Grecian details, including thick braided cotton headdresses and gladiator sandals, emphasized the collection’s Mediterranean influence.

Models kick-started the Sunset Group portion of the show dressed in varying colors of the same off-the-shoulder one-piece suit. The one-piece was cut close to the body, resembling a bathing suit below the waist and a T-shirt above. (While the show notes described the hybrid ensemble as “swimsuit-inspired,” it was still unclear whether the look was meant for the pool or the street.) Other looks incorporated juicy shades of raspberry and mango. But the one-piece was a recurring garment, shown in separate instances as a tube-top-and-shorts combination with an elasticized waist, and as a hooded “swimsuit.” Menswear featured bold blocks and stripes of color, including an all-red cotton suit and ombre sweaters.

The show shifted to mod-inspired designs with short frocks in black-and-white color blocking, checks, and stripes. Dresses featured wide, scooped necklines and were paired with cloche hats in cherry red and Kelly green; three male models showcased a fitted monochrome suit and shirt combination in the same eye-popping colors. The finale pieces sported a new take on the Lacoste logo, which featured the trademark alligator in red punctuated by an exclamation point.


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