There is something to be said for a designer who knows what he’s good at and what his customer wants. The household names in the fashion industry know they have to have one specialty that’s theirs alone, and usually stick to it.
Unfortunately, designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka seem to have abandoned what they do best — gorgeous gowns. These designers seemed to show everything but the kitchen sink on their catwalk Thursday morning. Little suits? Check. Sweaters? Check. Coats? Check. And jeans. Jeans?
These designers have recently gone on a spree of licensing and creating lower priced lines to appeal to a broader audience. Good for them, but did we have to see it all? Calvin Klein sells a ton of underwear, but we never see it on the runway. The same goes for Ralph Lauren and polo shirts.
The 10 or so gowns they did show were pleasant enough, made mostly of lame and decorated with beading and crystal in breastplate-like patterns on the bodices. We implore you, please bring pretty back.