Meggie Kempner turned up the elegance for fall, capturing some of the imposingly chic glamour of Nan Kempner, the designer’s grandmother and muse. “We figured out who our girl is and what she wants,” Kempner said during a preview. The polished daywear and eveningwear, done largely in lush velvet, lace and hammered silk, indicated that the customer is more sophisticated and mature than the label’s original target. Even paisley-printed silk pajamas invoked a sense of occasion.
Generously pleated trousers and dresses with high slits conveyed ease and movement. A series of darkly glamorous cutout gowns and slipdresses came with mixed accents of sheer lace and velvet, all of them sensual but never overtly sexy. Outerwear, which included a navy leather bomber with fox fur sleeves and a quirky wool plaid coat with matching flared trousers, felt as luxurious as the rest of the lineup. Kempner’s grandmother would be proud.