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TOP: Escada Couture. ABOVE: Escada Kids’ Wear collection.

   However, I was particularly taken with the active ski sub-collection, especially the ski suits and separates (stirrup pants, fitted tops—all wind-proof and water-repellent) in bright pink, yellow and turquoise. Also of interest were the pieces inspired by Tibet and the ethnic detailing found in the native clothing of the Sherpa people that live in the Himalayan mountains. One piece in partic­ular, a long coat made of different fur and other animal skins, seamlessly blended together to create a vision of loveliness. It was youthful, beautiful and a design for the age.
   For the fall 2004 Escada Collection, the team, much like so many of their fellow designers, has moved beyond the girlish prettiness of the spring collections and has, instead, embraced a ‘modern elegance that’s chic, feminine and with the utmost sophisti­ca­tion.’ Again, for the young customer they are trying to attract, Mr Rennie has mixed modern elements with traditional, clean silhouettes. He showed soft leather pieces with relief top-stitching, sweaters and knitwear tops with holo­graphic 3-D finishes, beautiful salt-’n’-pepper tweeds and glen plaid used to design some of the best suits of the season, denim with decorative over­stitching, coats with dramatic fur collars, and chiffon designs that were light as air and twice as lovely. They tested the limits of elegant edginess with the designs that were quite out there for the company. Such looks include laced corsets, killer high boots and sexy leather skirts that played havoc with the softly feminine pieces like their ultra-feminine powder pink satin salon robes.
   The high point, however, was best repre­sented by the red-carpet glamour gowns in the Escada Couture collection. They were sexy, slinky and essence-of-goddess glamor­ous with intricate smock­ing, concealed draping and other couture-like bells and whistles. Nothing was over­done or less than what it should be. The colour palette for these sophis­ticated sheath dresses, Marlene Dietrich-style pants, colourful lambskin jackets, narrow, long cashmere coats, luxury parkas and slim, buttoned-up trench coats covered the spec­trum of shades of gray, brown, beige and pink combined with splashes of off-tone salmon, mauve, fuchsia and lavender. Even the bold black-and-white pieces were distinctive enough to stand out in what was already a collection of high quality and merit.
   The première Escada Kids’ Wear Collection was an immediate hit with the buyers and members of the press that came to the preview. More than just being kid-sized replicas of the main lines, these designs are extremely well-made with the same kind of detail, colour, quality, luxury, fun and fantasy that defines every product that bears the Escada name. Some pieces were quite feminine, in colours ranging from white and fuchsia to powder blue, and there were bouquet prints. The new collection also includes denim with attractive beaded rose embroidery, faux fur and quilted hooded parkas, oh-so-sweet tiger-striped-print skirts and tops, denim jeans with heart-shaped pockets, parka jackets with iridescent ink prints and double-E logoed babywear. It’s all too cute for words.
   The Escada Kids’ Wear line, licensed by the Newman Group, will be distributed throughout the Escada store system worldwide, to department stores and selective multi-brand boutiques. (The Newman Group also manufactures and markets such brands as Newman Kids, Miniman, Il Etait une Fee, La Petite Ourse and Christian Lacroix Junior, and is represented in more than 3,000 boutiques throughout 90 countries.) •

Phillip D. Johnson is features’ editor of Lucire.