Alexandre Herchcovitch went ladylike last season, so much so that longtime fans may have arched an eyebrow. But though he continued in the well-kempt vein for pre-fall, here there was more of his usual oddity at play. The Brazilian designer mentioned the sixties as an inspiration, with nipped-waist dresses and fitted little coats, but he was also thinking of decoupage. That accounted for collagelike effects, like the patch pockets on those coats, as well as seams that were left raw and slightly raggedy for a Frankenstein effect—one that nicely set off the polished primness of those office-ready gabardines. It felt like a suggestion that under those demure pieces, some wildness beat beneath. And then, to underscore the point, the print on a series of a crinkled-silk tops and dresses: free-floating skulls and bones. Skeletons in the closet, indeed.
