NEW YORK, Sep 5, 2007/ FW/ – The second of the menswear shows today, Perry Ellis, like Nautica proposed looks that are geared towards mainstream America.

Coherent and well edited, it was a great presentation of what we could expect at stores when Spring 2008 rolls around with every piece in the collection able to go straight from the runway to the sales floor.

That said, let it also be mentioned that both showings from Perry Ellis and Nautica, both of which are big brands and sold across the U.S., are disappointing in the sense that there were no innovations presented. Rather, both of them played it safe, sending silhouettes that are ‘tried and true’. In short, none of the pieces would offend or raise eyebrows even in the most conservative part of the Bible belt.

As a fashion critic, the choice made by these two companies is saddening simply because the atmosphere of conservatism that is gripping the U.S. right now reached the runway. Still, as a businessperson, the decision by both Nautica and Perry Ellis to ‘play it safe’ made sense because of the current economic condition.

Hence, the question, what makes up a good collection and who decides whether it was a great collection or not?

The truth of the matter is that the cash register actually decides in the end. Fashion, creative as it maybe is also big business. Hence, for big labels like Nautica and Perry Ellis, both of which are backed up by big corporations, the bottom line plays a big part on what collection they will present.

Still, a balance should be reached between business sense and creativity. After all, without creativity, the whole world might as well wear uniforms and for all of us to totally lose and individuality.

One of the beauties of the fashion industry is that it caters to a broad spectrum of people and for every niche market that exists, there is a designer who caters to them. When the need to sell becomes imperative and the driving force behind a collection, then the spirit that drives fashion slowly dies, giving in to the ‘bottom line’ in the end.

If we continue to think of the bottom as the only thing that matters, the creativity that drives the designer will be lost in the process.

Let us not allow that to happen because truth be known, like every fashion pundit and every retail buyer knows – the commercial showroom usually hold 10 times more pieces than what was shown on the runway. So, truly, a designer can go crazy with his or her ideas while keeping the profit margin.

Hence, the need to find that delicate balance between creativity and business.