FW: Naeem Kahn and Sass and Bide

I know it's for fall 2006. I know, I know, but I became bored viewing the endless brown, copper, bronze, gold, and pewter metallics, and we aren't even there yet. Some designers lightened with ivory or let the gold become real yellow. A few burgundies and true reds showed up, the merest dashes of greens and blues, but when I hit the Sass and Bide dress above left- which I don't adore for its style or faux sleevings- I still felt as refreshed as if I'd had a palate cleansing sorbet.

The Sass and Bide further exemplifies another mode of transparent dress that we'll see in a few collections, as well as a Ye Olde Hunt Robin Hoodiness in the center image that also pops up repeatedly across various- I say misguided- looks. This may make S & B my winner for most cross-trended collection. That's not the same as favorite.

While the sameness of color became tiresome very quickly en masse, relief was found in especially rich textiles, for which Naeem Khan (on the right) gets my vote for best use of body-hugging bands of texture and pattern. I also enjoyed the deliciously generous skirts on most of the gowns. The clothes were largely wearable, flattering and feminine, voluptuously sexy without losing clarity and precision. They provided a counterpoint I kept returning to after the angry, saggy slatterns of so many collections. Look at Naeem Khan's whole show.