| Mr Varvatos débuted
his womenswear collection; and he maintained his signature look. Where
he best succeeded with this new addition was his outerwear pieces,
especially his espresso stretch wool clover leave lapel coat with
pocket pin-tuck detailing, Liya in a nearly floor-sweeping desert
sand wool stretch twill coat and the other wonderfully conceived shearling
and glen plaid overcoats. He has yet to better define the pieces in
this collection because his strictly minimalist æsthetic won't
easily make the journey, as proven by so many pieces in the new women's
wear collection itself. But Mr Varvatos is an extremely talented designer,
and all he needs is time to work out the kinks. Before you know it,
Hollywood starlets will be battling each other to be the first to
wear his designs.
Perry Ellis Men
JERRY KAYE,
creative director for the Perry Ellis brands, has been the
man at the helm of the very successful Salant–Perry Ellis menswear
division. Each season, Mr Kaye sends out a collection that is quite
democratic, with something for everyone. In all the years he has
been at Perry Ellis, Mr Kaye has never steered away from the original
philosophy of the brand: clothes should have a modern appeal but
remain wearable and classic over time, and fabrications must always
be top-of-the-line. In seasons past, he has found inspiration in
his love of antiques, music, and sports; and used that to infuse
the collections with his own sense of sophisticated wit and creativity.
For the fall 2004 presentation, he ‘focused
on the details like the trim. The sweaters and pants are lined with
velvet, there are patches of suede on the sweaters, I was inspired
by Howard Hughes and his elegance. I wanted to make it a lot more
than it is.’ I liked everything he had to offer within the
collection. I was even quite taken with the signature orange pieces
although I am not a big fan of the colour itself.
David Chu for Nautica
DAVID CHU
started his company, Nautica, in 1983, using the Latin word
for ships as the name of the organization and the spinnaker
logo as a symbol of ‘adventure, action and classicism.’
Mr Chu once said that he ‘often finds inspiration in vintage
military uniforms and athletic apparel,’ and as someone who
circles the globe several times a year for business and pleasure,
he has developed an insight and appreciation into the needs of the
modern adventurer.
‘Travel and experience are very important
to me … I have built the Nautica brand according to this philosophy,’
he says, and for a line that is synonymous with the feeling of the
sailing voyages and Arctic expeditions, Mr Chu's fall 2004 men's
line certainly lived up to expectations.
He opened his show with buff-coloured suede down
vest and vanilla cable-knit cashmere wool turtleneck sweater paired
with a buff corduroy pant—which is perfect for a wintry ski
vacation at Jackson Hole, Wyo. or a relaxed night out on the town
with your posse.
This collection, as always, has something for
everyone. I love his hand-knit sweaters, particularly his black
heather cashmere sweater, his olive cable hand knit wool turtleneck
sweater and cable blue wool turtleneck sweater (paired with a navy
NX4000 waterproof nylon tech pant
from the sports line).
CONTINUED
|
 ‘I
was inspired by Howard Hughes and his elegance. I wanted to make
it a lot more than it is’
Jerry Kaye
Creative Director
Perry Ellis
     
ABOVE AND LEFT:
Perry Ellis.
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