Jamie Pesavento had the credentials, but what appeared in his first collection at New York Fashion Week fell short of Phillip D. Johnson’s expectations

PHOTOGRAPHED BY RICHARD SPIEGEL

He endeavoured to step out of the box by challenging himself, but we were the ones left feeling challenged

AMIE PESAVENTO has more than served his time at the feet of the great fashion gods. After graduating from FIT, Mr Pesavento went on to work for Louis Féraud’s Haute Couture, Roberto Cavalli, Enrico Coveri and Paris-based Les Copains. With all this experience and time in the field, I am left with one very troubling question: what went wrong during New York Fashion Week?
   According to the show programme, ‘this collection [was] an attempt to please, yet confuse … Freedom is liberated but restrained …’ Well, from where I was sitting, there were plenty of confusion but nothing pleasing about this collection. I fully understand the creative process. There are times when one becomes so inspired, one indirectly skids out of control. Mr Pesavento clearly spun out of control with this collection; so much it was like watching a derailed train and the ensuing mêlée that followed. He endeavoured to step out of the box by challenging himself, but we were the ones left feeling challenged.
   I am guessing that he was harking back to the go-go ’80s when disposable income flowed like a river, what you did to your hair was very important and too much was never enough. He simply didn’t know when to leave well enough alone. If he had lace, then he felt compelled throw in some fur, some bead work, some tulle underpinning. As a result, the collection suffered from the "everything-but-the-kitchen-sink" syndrome.
   For example, he showed a black satin boléro with matador sleeves over a satin bustier finished off with a ruched–draped short skirt with leather straps. Whew! The pile-on here was phenomenal. Now, this piece would have been a success if he lost the matador sleeves, get rid of the leather straps and make a decision between the draping and the ruching of the skirt. The absolute worst piece shown was his "pagoda-inspired" metallic lace top with black metallic brocade sphere skirt (with attached train) and accessorized with a black fox fling. It gave me a headache.

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