For years, shoppers have been complaining about the perplexing way stores stock merchandise. At this very minute, shops are bulking up on winter boots before half of us have even gotten around to buying sandals. Come November, when we all start thinking about warm coats, you’ll find bikinis and other “vacationwear.” Jason Wu is addressing the issue head-on with his new Resort collection, which has as much, if not more, fur than his Fall outing, and is rounded out with an assortment of efficiently chic wool suits and heavenly multi-ply cashmere knits. Let’s hope the retailers bite and that other designers follow his lead.
In recent seasons, Wu has worked to elevate his aesthetic. At first it was hard to know if the new restraint in his clothes came naturally or was a response to fashion’s preoccupation with an almost clerical kind of minimalism. Several collections in, the polish of his pared-back tailoring, seen on a Le Smoking and on sheath dresses, is completely convincing. Still one couldn’t help but smile when catching a glimpse of the old Jason, in a shirtdress in a black-and-white squiggle print inspired by the work of artist Ghada Amer. Think of it as an all-grown-up version of his onetime collaboration with the graffiti star KAWS.
