Richard Chai’s 10-year anniversary show paired his Love and Men’s lines with his almost stereotypical New Yorker’s ease. Fluidity bounces against draping and then bumps up next to meticulous formal and informal hems. There is a careful, but decidedly teenager-like “What-ev-er” sense to the androgynous looks. His pieced construction lets us revisit silhouettes from earlier seasons without them feeling overdone. Culottes, maxi dresses, and tabbed jackets are all here to stay – at least as Chai presents them.
Chai’s victory in this show may be that both collections are covetable by both sexes. Both men and women will happily tie one of his jewel-toned, tailored shirts around their waist, as he did in the show. Both men and women will seek out Chai’s skilled layering: light metallics with weighty Chesterfield, or military jackets over slouchy silk Ts. They will buy the versatile pieces in this collection and even wear their rich, but not overly springy tones into colder weather.
by Alison Santighian
Images courtesey Style.com