Bill Blass by Michael Vollbracht: Sublime Elegance
By Mari Davis
Photos by Javier Mateo

NEW YORK, Feb 10, 2005/ FW/ --- With Janet Jackson sitting front row, Michael Vollbracht signed his fourth collection at Bill Blass, a statement of luxury and opulence taking the label into a higher label and slightly different direction.

His press notes said, “Last year, on my travels from Versailles to Dubai, (with Houston in between), my creative eye was overwhelmed, but happily recharged.” And Michael Vollbracht was not exaggerating!

Whereas before, he would peruse the house’s sketchbooks and update the looks created by Bill Blass for the current generation, Michael Vollbracht’s Fall 2005 collection is definitely his own with the spirit of the house still very much intact.

Opening with the white cashmere coat with Cambridge pinstripe double-breasted pantsuit, what followed is a series of very wearable and tailored suits, day dresses and coats with a very positive aesthetic.

The grace of Versailles and the mystique of Dubai were represented on the prints and the colors, an understated elegance that is almost sublime.

But it was the gowns wherein Vollbracht excelled. With a fluid silhouette that became sensual as the models walked, as exemplified by the bronze lamé halter gown, Vollbracht’s artistry was at its best.

Saying the east meets west will sound like a cliché, because this collection did more than that. It was a statement of Michael Vollbracht’s creativity and imagination.

Bill Blass by Michael Vollbracht

Bill Blass by Michael Vollbracht

Bill Blass by Michael Vollbracht

Bill Blass by Michael Vollbracht