It’s hard to have imagined how calm and restrained Adam Lippes’ spring presentation would be given the tumult of activity that proceeded it: Literally dozens of people moved about the rooms of his Greenwich Village townhouse as they fussed with the food, photographed the models (18 of them), assisted the designer and corralled his huge Labradoodles. Before even entering his home, one saw four gardeners arranging an array of flower pots in the small front courtyard and heard a guitarist (JoGA Bot, whom the designer found in Washington Square Park) strumming Sixties music in sync with the soundtrack inside.
All this activity settled down, but “motion” was an important element of Lippes’ clothes, mirrored in his flirtation with pleats, ruffles and layers — including the 14 yards of silk chiffon used for a long, double-layered swirling ivory slipdress — and rendered in a short, feather-accented lime version as well.
Lippes’ inspiration was somewhat complicated, but nonetheless evident: hand-painted ceramic plates by Costanza Paravicini in patterns taken from botanical illustrations drawn for the 17th-century scientist Sir Hans Sloane. These surfaced in embroideries and tiny glass sequins, and the loveliest was a long, slender side-slit slipdress in ivory Chantilly lace, beautifully embellished with a shimmering botanical motif. Sloane’s travels to Jamaica were also represented in the island’s festive quadrille dress, interpreted by Lippes in fuller silhouettes, flounces and a charming white blouse with loosely tiered silk and lace sleeves paired with silk pants.
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Balancing all this were silk knits: lean, ankle-grazing dresses in black and turquoise stripes or in white with inset lace under an easy striped cotton sweater, as well as a bodysuit in white and gold Lurex worn with superwide cotton and linen plaid pants in white, citron and navy. Once again, Lippes went for disparate looks he loved rather than creating a more consistent collection. What is consistent and most essential, he insisted, is “quality.” No shortage of that.