"There's no big theme, nothing intellectual, but I am pronouncing the end of this bloody recession," Andrew Gn said backstage, pointing out that sell-throughs in the States have been up since Labor Day. Fortified by that little bit of good news, he sent out a Spring collection with as many lavish embellishments as ever. There was no scaling down here, or in the client-heavy crowd. The only thing that rivaled the colorful gems and metallic embroidery on the runway was the bling on Gn's socialite customers in the front row.
Jeweled embellishments accenting the waist or the shoulders were the through-line of a collection that embraced everything from white guipure lace and organza tops (youthful with a pair of silk faille shorts) to a sleek black moiré le smoking (less louche than the YSL original, but still sexy). Slender sheaths in "patio prints" based on upholstery fabric from the fifties and sixties should appeal to the designer's artier fans, while the gowns in notice-me shades of violet, teal, and jade were no doubt made with his party girls in mind. There was an almost random, something-for-everyone quality to this unrepentantly luxe show. These days, though, that's probably smart business for a small brand like Gn's.
