Preen Fall 2011 Review
Photos: Imaxtree
Looks from the Preen Fall 2011 collection
SHOW: Preen (See the full runway collection)
ACCESSORIES: Very high heels, big necklaces
HAIR: Luke Hersheson at Julian Watson Agency for Redken
MAKEUP: James Kaliardos at the M.A.C. Pro Team
FRONT ROW: Fern Mallis, Hamish Bowles, Leigh Lezark, Susie Bubble, Bryan Boy, Lynn Yaeger, Fabiola Beracasa
OVERALL TAKEAWAY: Preen goes ladylike, almost austere
Anyone at Thea Bregazzi and Justin Thornton’s show this morning immediately noticed Leigh Lezark as she walked in. She was wearing one of the design duo’s many body-con black numbers for which so many shoppers troll Net-a-Porter hoping to look as good.
So with Lezark in the corner of your eye, the Preen Fall 2011 lineup came as a bit of a shock. Their usual great tailoring and recent proclivity for menswear elements surfaced, as expected. But they shared the runway with a potpourri of the following: optical illusion-style cube prints, stiff shirt collars buttoned all the way to the chin, and double-layer skirts with one hemline grazing the thigh and the other reaching the ankle.
The one thing we know for sure is that Preen is feeling menswear at the moment. Elements that echoed business attire (pantsuits that didn’t seem quite like pantsuits, flap pockets on the back of slim pencil skirts) kept reappearing among the many below-the-knee skirts and prim tops the duo showed, suggesting a move toward a more working girl–inclined approach. One black skirt with a pop of salmon under the high back slit came across as a femininely subversive take on work wear.
But while customers could certainly appreciate the jewel-toned sections on tailored blouses and the tops with glittering loops on sheer front panels, we can’t help but wonder what the Preen girl will think of the total lack of a major party dress, a piece we’ve come to love and expect. Sure, you could get it elsewhere, but what will Preen’s cheering section order come August?
SEE THE FALL 2011 RUNWAY COLLECTIONS
