Floaty & Floral
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 fashion scene may be a rather small world, but sometimes its members seem to live on different planets. While the high-flying visionaries in Bryant Park mostly cater to flawless uber-women of unlimited means, Maverick’s Rebecca Romero concerns herself with the girl on the street. Which is logical, considering that’s who she sells to. Ms. Romero’s clothes are sold only in her own NoLita boutique, and her Monday fashion show was her first ever. The collection she sent out was girly, festive, and pretty much a mirror of what we have seen on the pages of InStyle this summer. Perhaps that’s not a bad concept. If starlets and party princesses dress in floaty, floral chiffon tops and short shorts this year, girls next door may want those same styles come March. There were some pretty and colorful halter dresses with ruched empire waistbands and swingy, layered skirts, as well as sleek silk blouses with dolmen sleeves pared with pencil skirts. But overall, the tailoring tended to sag, and the aesthetic seemed a bit tired.
Someone whose spring collection was full of bubbly energy was Alice Roi, who sent out a playful and charming collection that riffed on the childlike sex appeal of 1960s pop culture icons like Twiggy and Francoise Hardy mixed with new wave punk. Pleated princess dresses with puffed sleeves and mod smocks adorned with mini pom-poms sported mid-thigh hemlines, while frilly tulle blouses and lacy skirts were layered with 1980s staples like tiger print tops. There were a few all-white space age-inspired getups that brought Courreges to mind. It may sound like a crazy combination of styles, but somehow it all worked. The (unusually trim-looking) front row girl Kelly Osbourne would do well to sport one of these fun and frivolous dresses at her next red carpet event.
For the past year or so, a sequined, flapper-inspired frock from Alice Temperley has been a must-have in every Itgirl’s wardrobe. The British socialite set up shop in New York City in spring 2004, but Monday night’s presentation marked her Bryant Park debut. There was a lineup of high-powered editors from Bazaar to Vogue in attendance, which was not surprising, considering the extensive editorial coverage Ms. Temperley has received in those magazines. The question is, however, whether she will be able to sustain her momentum. Although the deli cate, silver-strewn silk and chiffon gowns were as pretty and ethereal as expected, the lack of variety in the collection came off as slightly flat. The drop-waist tunics, fluid empire-waist gowns, and long shell dresses, all in dusty rose, gray, and cream shades and adorned with beads and sparkles, looked recycled from past lines. The most exciting items were the most experimental, such as beautiful chiffon dresses with colorful striped crochet insets that seemed inspired by South American folk art.
Fashion shows tend to match the beauty of their audience. The better looking the crowd is, the better looking the clothes are. This was certainly true at Matthew Williamson, where front row power trio Sophie Dahl, Helena Christensen, and Kelis reigned over a room full of equally well-dressed and -groomed editors and buyers. Mr. Williamson’s sweet and breezy hippie-luxe (with emphasis on luxe) aesthetic was in full effect. Ethereal kimono-sleeved tunics and floor-length silk skirts paired with crisp button-up blouses channeled a barefoot Jade Jagger in Ibiza. Flippy baby-doll dresses in beautiful hand-drawn prints looked tailor-made for Kate Moss on a wild London night. Ornately beaded tops, long skinny cardigans in wispy cashmere, and shorts of all lengths and variety also made appearances in this lighthearted and lovely collection.