September 6, 2007

Lela Rose hit the mark with a handful of her looks for spring, though many designs fell flat as an unimaginative continuation of the ‘60s revival. However, oversize silver polka dots and exaggerated scallop edging, while not exactly straying from the “big baby” look that dominated this past spring’s collections, did add an extra flair to otherwise tired silhouettes. Belted trenches with loosely cuffed sleeves billowed atop relaxed pants and sheath dresses. Although the designs were cute, they lacked inspiration, as jumper after day dress after tunic bounced down the runway to Feist’s (slightly) overplayed “My Moon My Man”. Luckily, the pieces were nearly all in solids—splashes of peacock, persimmon, ginger, and bottle green saved many lackluster looks, as did lower waists and soft silhouettes. The show ended on a high note with a number of long crochet gowns that added a touch of unexpected elegance. The tailoring on these last pieces was chic and simple, as they did little more than follow the body’s natural lines. Lela would do well to continue in this vein—both the exaggerated hourglass silhouette and the utterly formless sack are trends we’ve grown sick of sporting.