For a designer who is usually referred to as an industry iconoclast,
Yves Castaldi’s spring forecast was mild, keeping lines classic and substituting color for finishes. The collection, titled
Couture by Appointment, featured variations of tailored pants, jackets, and denim in a muted, absence-of-color theme of black, white and denim. Sheen finishes added dimension to all of his pieces.
Any theatrics that were promised by Castaldi followers wrapped up quickly within the first few moments of the show. French pop artist Tilly Key quieted the audience with an a cappella piece followed by a guitar solo of original, spiritual music. The first model to emerge was celebrity and avid Castaldi supporter Bai Ling, with her red-streaked hair and a patent-leather traveler bag to match. The remaining show, however, failed to follow such a radical suit, but offered an honest exhibition of the designer’s strengths and weaknesses.
The collection was chock full of classic silhouettes that have remained au courant since their inception into the industry. Playing with lengths, cuts, and proportions, Castaldi condensed jackets, sweaters, and pants from last year’s billowing trends to more-streamlined editions.
The designer made public his love affair with the skinny pant. Some featured ankle slits, some boasted flap pockets, slit pockets, and buttons. They came in lacquered denim, nylon, sateen-finished, and matte. And his vision encompassed the other half as well. The two male models in the show, one of whom was TV actor Wesley Jonathan, exuded confidence in tapered, low-rise denim that dared to be accessorized.
Many designers incorporate men’s fashions into their women’s line, playing with dimensions and altering preconceived notions of femininity. On Sunday,
Castaldi incorporated his own twist, claiming polished looks for women and defining waists for men. His sport coat and black ribbed sweater shaped male model torsos, and conical pant legs emphasized strong thighs. Female models strutted just as assured in hip-hugging cuffed trousers. Here was where
Castaldi reigned supreme: blending the lines of masculinity and femininity by adorning impeccable tailoring with cool sex appeal.
Patent leather traveler bags in white and black hung over models’ shoulders to match respective outfits. Similarly designed, stiff, patent leather jackets in black and white mimicked the look that would have been best left as a bag. The dominant bags could have done without a competing matching jacket.
Castaldi hasn’t yet relinquished the waist belt, but he did manage to whittle it down to a respectable-sized accessory that did not overpower the long jacket and sweater over which it was placed. A patent leather finish gave it a punch.
Castaldi’s designs are so good at hinting sexy that Castaldi shouldn’t try for sexy. His attempts stood in stark contrast to the rest of the chiseled and sleek collection, but failed to offer more depth, exuding only cheesy sex. Blips included white sheer, feather-hemmed pants that begged the question of seriousness or frivolity, and a black dress version, which, too, was met with my furrowed brow. The time-tested truth still holds: less is more.
Yves Castaldi
Visit www.yvescastaldi.com
All photos courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
Published on Nov 01, 2007
