The Establishment - NARCISO RODRIGUEZ:
After what seemed like countless shows and many days of over the top excess, in your face embellishment, jolting color, jarring prints and patterns, along came Narciso Rodriguez with his beautifully executed, chic, grown up collection- a true breath of fresh air. Narciso, always a consistent voice, once again proved why he is held in such high esteem, revered and admired by his peers, and why he is really in his own category- his creativity, ingenuity, and architectural craftsmanship (not to mention his amazing attention to detail and dressmaking skills) were on display in the 43 piece collection that was an affirmation of his philosophy.

Inspired by "beach life, sports, the ocean, Rio, and surfing", it was really all about the water, and the color blue. Hence- his cool signature palette of black, white, and beige was revved up by an entire range of blues from ice, 'pool', and aqua, to turquoise. Though he showed several dresses in solid tones of blue, the best and most interesting effect came from his artfully mixing the blue shades-, which successfully mimicked the clear blue water surrounding his beloved Brazil. Though his signature bras, corseted tops, and boned pieces- which take their cues directly from lingerie- were very much in evidence, the entire collection was softened through a generally eased up (a- line or trapeze) silhouette on the bottom, and through his reliance on a new, higher, raised waistline. This resulted in a feeling of movement, volume and fluidity - a new and very welcome ease. Though Narciso didn't exactly hit us over the head with prints and patterns, nor would we expect that he would (he did use one very subtle print), he was able to break up the monotone solids through graphic color blocking and collages. Everything was shown with very high heeled, sexy shoes, often in white, black and white, or red, and the models hair was brushed back from their faces and arranged in French knots.