Anne Klein Strays from the Classic
By Jenny Bailly
Photos by: Gruber-FWD
More Photos: 1 |2 | 3 | 4
NEW YORK, Dec 3, 2002/ FWD/ --- Since Anne Klein passed away in 1974, the house that bears
her name has flown through five designers, including Donna Karan and Richard Tyler.
Charles Nolan has overseen the line's sixth incarnation, and for the last four seasons the
Ellen Tracy vet has delivered classically cut, sophisticated workplace looks.
In Bryant Park last September, however, Nolan took a bit of a turn, and a few more risks.
While the palette was still classic - ivories, beiges and nudes interspersed with some
rosy reds - the collection's undercurrent of '80s style could be potentially alienating
for the typical no-nonsense Anne Klein customer.
Nolan admits that the collection was partially inspired by '80s retail outlet Parachute -
"one of my absolute favorites."
As "Bette Davis Eyes" and "Hot Child in the City" set the
musical mood, the designer sent out oversized men's shirt dresses, belted on the hips,
bulky-cut variations on the Members Only jacket, and Flashdance-esque grey sweatshirts
bedazzled with sparkle accents.
Like last season, there were also a couple of strange sack-style dresses that couldn't
even manage to flatter a model's figure.
The best part of the show's '80s sub-theme was definitely the sassy gold open-toed heels
that were paired with every outfit.
The show opened with several asymmetrical handkerchief skirts pieced together from multiple
pieces of fabric.
Nolan says they are reminiscent of the four flags that fly in front of his oceanfront home.
"I like the way the flags look, the way they fell, the stitching together of many pieces,"
he explains.
The pieces that really came together in the collection though tended toward the conservative
and were impeccably tailored.
Anne Klein poster girl Bridget Hall was sexy and sophisticated in a slim-cut seersucker
pantsuit that immediately stood out from the pack with its clean lines.
Fitted pants with snap closures at the bottom were a little funkier, but certainly wearable,
and flirty short cotton kilts with ribbon-tie closures could inspire many a fling come spring.
Gauzy draped halters and skin-baring jersey tanks that loosely knotted in front were also fun
and surprisingly sexed-up for a line with such an established sportswear image.
For evening, Nolan once again played with style and texture.
While last season he jauntily juxtaposed the filminess of flowing satin skirts with the
heft sweaters, he has now dared to pair baseball tees with beaded skirts -
and on the all-American Maggie Rizer, the look worked.
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