NEW YORK, Feb 8, 2006/ FW/ --- Anait Bian who debuted her first ever collection at Bryant Park in 1998 returned this season at the tents proposing soft feminine silhouettes for Fall 2006.

With the opening music from the movie theme of ‘Shangri-La’ the first model came out wearing a white A-Line coat with black pleat insert at the back that combined fluidity with architectural structure.

What followed was an eclectic collection that ranged from lingerie-inspired dresses with 1920s and 1930s aesthetics and unexpected combinations of luxurious fabrics that include silk organza, silk satin, silk crepe de chine, textured wools, cashmeres and gauzy chiffon.

The 29 pieces shown all look good on paper such as the tweed colored ‘zip-up’ gown coat, and the white silk top black pleated trim worn with high-waist suit slacks.

Each piece showed promise when taken alone, but as a collection, things did not gel. Somehow, the cutout flowers that were meant to represent the ‘crisp edge of winter white on a cold day’ did not mix well with the pleats and ruffles.

To be fair, all the pieces are wearable and some of them will more than likely make it to the store shelves.

That said, the idea of ‘Shangri-La’ the paradise in the Himalayas as an inspiration for the collection as implied with the opening background music was not projected nor achieved.

And it is really too bad, because Anait Bian really showed a lot of promise during the first several pieces that came out. Unfortunately, as the show progressed, the ‘cold crisp edge of a cold winter day’ seemed like an undigested inspiration.