“To make an impression without saying a word,” was Julianna Bass’ goal in creating her fall collection. Just how does that silence translate into clothes? With subtlety and restraint in long, graceful evening dresses, in which the sensuality surfaces in the fabrics and there are hints of bareness rather than brazen exposure.
“In the past my clothes were more whimsical, vintage-y, even architectural,” said Bass. “Now they are more sinister; serious.”
The velvet evening exits were the most impressive here: long black dresses, one with nude illusion mesh across the shoulders; a pleated, ankle-length fluid skirt that was paired with a constructed-peplum jacket with bell sleeves in black duchess satin.
Though the designer feels more inclined to create evening looks, “day speaks to more people,” she notes. Accordingly, she incorporated more structure and tailoring into this lineup. Reflecting that best were two navy wool-and-cashmere slender coats, one in a herringbone ottoman, with lean, goat-hair embellished long sleeves; another with small calf-hair grids set on the shoulders. But for all the clever details in this collection, Bass never overdid it.