Monique Lhuilier Spring 2016

Monique Lhuillier never ceases to amaze. There always seems to be another innovation, another interesting combination of color and fabrication, a new way of looking at an old silhouette or simply a reinterpretation of beauty.

For spring 2016 Lhuillier’s reinterpretation of beauty or fashion as art rested on the shoulders of her vision of simplicity married with sculptural minimalism from her inspiration for this collection, the work of Ellsworth Kelly. Like Ellsworth Kelly, Lhuillier developed her aesthetic this season around the concept of shaped canvasses that focused on one or two primary colors.  And the development of this design motif throughout the collection is the basis of Lhuillier’s brilliance and genius.

With opening looks of simple shift dress silhouettes in primary colors with jeweled and beaded necklines, the collection evolved to lacy floral separates still in primary colors. The collection continued its metamorphosis to include pointillism-like floral prints still in 1960s simple silhouettes, lastly, erupting into more constructed evening wear in bold, form-fitting, primary colors.

In this collection, Lhuillier has earned her right to the old adage “less is more.” For Lhuillier, her less was more dynamic, more focused, more true, and ultimately more of a risk. Only a designer with Lhuillier’s design acumen can take tried-and-true silhouettes combined with primary colors—this has been done time and again ad nauseam—and create something bold, unique, fashion forward, but not off putting for female consumers.

Lhuillier’s color palette of fuchsia, strawberry red, lipstick pink, spring green, cobalt, and geranium, though at times not necessarily spring/summer fare, due to the design genius of the collection possessed a sophisticated lightness and joie de vivre that any woman would easily prescribe to. And though the peplum silhouette has been a weary worn feminine construct for several seasons, Lhuillier by employing a grand asymmetrical cut made her peplum gowns a Diana Vreeland–like design concept of now and next.

Standouts in this collection, and there were many, were Lhuillier’s noir double gauze strapless dress with draped skirt and silk-white pebble crepe u, fuchsia multi-floral splatter print lace sheath dress with integral noir micro-floral lace bandeau, silk Chantilly lace dress with multi-color PVG floral embroidery, and azure silk faille strapless draped bodice with train matched with cobalt silk faille pant.

—William S. Gooch