Marc Bouwer’s and Bill Blass’s collections were, while beautiful, on the long side, though Phillip D. Johnson did get a reprieve thanks to O’Halloran Co.

PHOTOGRAPHED BY CHERYL GORSKI, RICHARD SPIEGEL AND THE AUTHOR

ASHION FOLKS are a very strange lot. We wallow in excess most much of the time—except when it serves to irritate our senses. Then we react with as if someone has taken our names off the lists of the most exclusive, after-season sample sales. The New York fall 2004 shows had their ups and downs, but I have never felt so trapped and held hostage—ever—as much as I did attending the Marc Bouwer and Bill Blass collections. It’s very rare that my, ahem, butt hurt from sitting in a fashion show venue, but in these two instances it did. Without mean­ing to, designers Marc Bouwer and Michael Volbracht managed to find that last working straight nerve I possess and plucked away at it like a drugged-up, deranged guitarist at a rock concert.
   But I still loved most of the designs they showed in their collections.
   It didn’t take a genius to figure out that South African designer Marc Bouwer’s (right) theme was the red carpet. His runway consisted of a U-shaped fire engine red carpet and the entrance from and exit to the back­stage was draped in the same fabric. Having said that, this collection, in and of itself, was this close to being near perfect. This was one of the most fully conceptualized evening­wear collections shown in Feb­ruary—if only he had edited it down some more before the show date. At 60-plus looks, the collection started really great with beautiful dresses with superb cut and fit that could easily be worn right off the runway as is. I love his black lace one-shoulder gown with red silk underlay and feather shoulder detailing, his black silk raincoat, Omahyra in a black page-boy silk blouse paired with skin-tight silk leggings with lace side detailing, and his black lace cocktail dress with bell sleeves. It’s all very beautiful, attention-getting and sexy—as it should be.
   He only got into trouble at the mid­way point of the collection when he began to repeat himself. What was initially refreshing became tiresome the second go-around. Luckily, he regained his sure footing towards the end. The stand out pieces in this tail-end section of the show saved the whole enterprise from near ruin. I simply adored his red and black print column gown with the trailing red silk scarf, the silver lame and chiffon cocktail dress sparkled like a newly-minted coin, as did its sister number, a silver silk lingerie-inspired gown with a beaded bodice top. His white one-shoulder lace gown (with bell sleeve and train), his red velvet slashed front gown (with front kick flap), an olive one-shoulder column gown (with cut-out detailing) and a red graphic leaf print long-sleeve gown completed the collection in fine form. The make-up was exquisite. The hair was divine. And the jewel­lery was wonderfully appro­priate. Mr Bouwer’s return to the Bryant Park tents this season—after an extended absence—was very much welcomed and that was plain from the reception he received at the end—despite the length of the show.

CONTINUED

It’s all very beautiful, attention-getting and sexy—as it should be