Costume National's Basic Instinct
By Karl Treacy
Photos by Gruber-FWD
PARIS, Oct 5, 2002/ FWD/ --- Following in the spirit of next season, Ennio Capasa at
Costume National did short and sexy -- but he kept the sexy part intelligent and fresh.
For a label like Costume National, in-your-face sex doesn’t usually enter into the equation.
And in Thursday’s show, Capasa kept his stylistic sexual urges on a tight leash.
That didn’t stop overtly sexual clothing from prowling the catwalk -- like the pink bra
and hot pants with garter belt high waist worn by Caitriona Balfe, the current face of
Costume National.
And a backless black tulle T-shirt with a bra reduced to straps underneath was just gimmicky.
But those brief flirtations aside, Capasa got down to basics and did what he does best.
That meant the skinniest black nappa belted raincoat with its narrow sleeves pushed up,
short washed silk jackets, an ultra-fine leather shirt with a topstitched placket and a
buttoned, brief, gray coat with a high and close funnel neck.
Brief too was a black goddess mini-dress with subtle bra strap detailing, or a
mauve wrap skirt.
Unexpected was metallic brocade, which didn’t work as a yoked-back dress but succeeded
sweetly as vest tops or skirts.
A dress composed of overlaid bias strips and a short, draped number with Charleston
beading showed a couture side to Costume National.
Sitting in the front row was “Sex and the City” stylist Patricia Field.
It’s easy to imagine a flat-stomached Carrie in a lot of these looks.
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