NEW YORK, February 20, 2009
By Meenal Mistry
"Earthy" isn't a term you'd immediately apply to a tall drink of water like
L'Wren Scott, but after being inspired by the wind last season, the designer has moved on to a second element: terra firma. She named this collection "Bois de Boulogne" after the falling leaves and barren trees outside her studio window. Also influential were the forest-y motifs of British artist Adam Ball, whose white-on-white cutout works served as a backdrop for today's presentation at the Gagosian Gallery. It was Scott who provided the color, a gorgeously rich range of greens in a palette that the designer said was her most varied ever. Forests have something of a moody, fairy-tale quality, and that suits Scott's romantic, witchy leanings just fine— witness a sharp bottle-green Edwardian frock coat, cut with a high slit to reveal a hint of the sequined gown glimmering beneath.
Rather than exit the stage, the models lined up one by one in front of Ball's cutouts. They did so with their backs to the audience, which this time around included Rachel Feinstein Currin and Dustin Hoffman, as well as Scott's number-one fan, Mick Jagger. This wasn't bad manners, but rather a ploy to showcase the trellis of red embroidery snaking down the rear of a lean, black coat or to underline that a prim, long-sleeved frock had another trick up its sleeve: a completely open back.
Dramatic, yes, but Scott's strength is that she combines that with versatility. Afterward, Kyra Sedgwick took a minute to choose her favorites from a collection filled with best-dressed options. She settled on a body-hugging Kelly day dress sweetly topped with a cardigan "for real life," and an emerald column with a jet-beaded bodice for the red carpet. "They're one of the most comfortable dresses to wear," she said of Scott's strict silhouettes, which would seem to betray every excess crumb. "They make you look great from every angle."
