NEW YORK, Sep 18, 2004/ FW/ --- Miguel Adrover is back, but barely. In fact, he has been back since last year, but unfortunately, the New York-based designer cannot generate the heat that he used to.

And that is too bad, because his Spring 2005 collection featured very wearable pieces like the red and gray plaid matched with a blue snug jacket and taupe leather pants paired with a different shade of taupe long sleeved, Nehru cum bush jacket.

The designer has not lost his artistic touch and his mastery of tailoring techniques. In fact, he is better than before, yet why the seeming cold-shoulder?

Don’t get me wrong. Miguel Adrover presented his collection to a capacity crowd somewhere in Manhattan. For some reason, everyone seems to want to put a shroud of mystery around him that only those invited knew where the show would be.

Is it good or bad? I don’t know. We will find out the answer come spring if or when we see his creations on store shelves.

Miguel Adrover is faced with the same problems that a both established and emerging designers’ face – where does the hype end and the selling begin? Who do you really invite – big time press, mid-size press, small press, big retail buyers, small specialty store buyers, celebrities? What is the proper mix?

For established designers like Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein, even Tommy Hilfiger, the ratio is already formulaic. Statistically, one can go within 1-5% margin of error.

With emerging designers like Miguel Adrover, it is harder because there is no history to fall back to; so, one can only make an educated guess

Miguel Adrover was the darling of the New York season pre-Sep 11. He was a shooting star, a starving artist one day and sitting on top of the world the next day. His backer, the now defunct Pegasus Group was already floundering before September 11. For all of us, what happened after that fateful day is now part of history.

Not losing his sense of humor, Miguel Adrover came out wearing a T-shirt saying, “Have Anyone Seen A Backer?” at the end of his show. With his very recognizable grin, the designer seems to be taking things in stride.

And that is good, because with a talent like his, we know that he will rise again.

Miguel Adrover

Miguel Adrover

Miguel Adrover

Miguel Adrover

Miguel Adrover