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The flush times of Eighties Nouvelle Society look pretty good right now. And if living the life isn’t an option, dressing the part is, thanks to Christian Lacroix, who served up a splendid reminder of all things fun and frivolous for spring. He harkened back to his Eighties heyday, when broad-shouldered, big-haired babes wanted to wear their bucks on their sleeves. Consider the first look out: a white duchesse satin dress that appeared to be a top and skirt thanks to a trompe l’oeil corset, a theme that reappeared throughout in delicate lace or glitzed-up in embroidery. It was part Madonna, part Marie Antoinette, two good-time girls who would certainly appreciate Lacroix’s go-for-broke approach to fashion.
Lacroix did stripes and polkadots, big and small, sometimes all at the same time on little chiffon party dresses trimmed in sculptural ruffles. Patterns were draped, twisted, delightfully mismatched and decked with giant flowers and scarves. Even the most restrained looks were lavished in extravagant details, as in a knit dress cascading with pink carnation appliqués or a dramatically embroidered peplum waistcoat worn over a simple navy pencil skirt. The giant gazar ruffles that topped and trimmed were a little too old-school opulence, but Lacroix’s madcap mix was refreshingly optimistic.
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