
“I’m really into cleaning,” Sally LaPointe mentioned backstage before her show, in a manner that felt more like a confession than a statement. “I was cleaning this morning, actually. I love throwing things away.”
In the spirit of de-cluttering, LaPointe said she took a “less is more” approach to Spring. “It’s more focused,” she said. “I’m getting to know my woman.” Indeed, LaPointe is the kind of designer who spends a good deal of time talking about how her customer responds to the clothes, and how she can deliver what the customer wants. This season, that meant moving away from a strictly narrow silhouette, instead offering wide-sleeve tops and curved-hem skirts that promised ease. For instance, a rolled-sleeve bateau neck dress in blush-colored techno jersey—which felt like a softer, less stiff version of neoprene—was cinched at the waist but free at the knees and shoulders. To open up the pieces even further, several looks featured a diagonal zipper on the back, artfully unzipped in an amoeba-like shape to reveal a second layer of fabric.
The season’s print was a blown-up image of a feather, almost indiscernible in its supersized state. In other feather news: LaPointe used ostrich for the first time, to decorate the bottom of a double-layer leather vest that hit the knee. (It was a sensible move, given that her clients have responded well to winter fur.) A 3-D optical fabric, done in a matching top and midi skirt, was eye-catching. But it was a black organza evening gown that is bound to be the biggest crowd-pleaser. The silhouette was unfussy—just a sleeveless shell and long skirt—but the beautifully strange matte-white beading details at the hip and bust gave it the slightly otherworldly look that distinguishes LaPointe’s collection from the rest.