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Jean-Louis Scherrer: Beri's Turn
By: Godfrey Deeny
Photo by Gruber-FWD
Mar 16, 2002/ FWD/ --- In a day with many debuts by new designers at rather old houses,
the third rookie to get up to bat was Ritu Beri, who presented her first collection for
Jean-Louis Scherrer on Wednesday.
Beri is an Indian designer who has gained a solid reputation for her own colorful signature
line.
She presented an opening collection which, while relatively modest in its aim, at least
had the benefit of looking a little like Scherrer, i.e. lots of big cat skins and prints
for the well-heeled ladies who lunch.
Her modest success was in stark contrast to the reaction to the previous collection on the
calendar, Jacques Fath, which like Scherrer is owned by France Luxury Group, a newly formed
group whose aim is to buy brands "with roots" and rebuild.
Fath's first collection by British designer Lizzy Disney was universally panned.
At least Beri garnered a little better than faint praise.
Beri opened with some cute floral prints used in slinky dresses and showed pretty corsets
in a battered gold fabric with fur trim or in a gray herringbone.
Her smeared leather jeans had a certain charm, as did her finale, consisting of
Indian-inspired embroidered shirts and pants.
However, the show was not particularly novel, if you exclude seeing a turban in the front row.
In short, Scherrer felt a little revived, though a long way from being resurgent.
Ritu Beri for Jean-Louis Scherrer
Ritu Beri for Jean-Louis Scherrer
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