Back to the Great Depression ? Steven Alan's collection riffed on thirties-era aesthetics with an emphasis on worn tailoring and a gray and sepia-toned palette straight out of Dorothea Lange. The cited inspiration was Diego Rivera -another icon of the up-with-labor bread line era. The designer channeled the artist's influence into newly emphasized handknits made in South America, as well as striped jackets and waistcoats redolent of Mexican blankets. The collection saw Steven Alan continuing to develop his dressier pieces -there were soft tailored suits in a variety of interesting fabrications, such as moleskin and washed wool, and narrow trousers with a subtle slouch. Elsewhere, he turned out some nice adaptations of closet staples, such as a navy anorak in leather. The women's collection, meanwhile, riffed on the men's. Many of the menswear materials repeated themselves, notably the herringbone tweed, while girlier items such as a pleated skort and appealing full skirts were executed in mannish checks and foulard prints. Metallic brocade provided a nice counterpoint to the general low-key atmosphere. It was an instructive array of looks that proved a soft knit hat or a fresh new pair of New Balance sneakers won't ruin an austere look -it'll simply loosen things up. All in all, there were no real surprises here from Steven Alan, but the collection had a strong cohesive point of view and boasted lots of salable easy-to-wear clothes. Which is not so bad at all.
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