Jason Wu took the bumpy texture of corrugated glass as a jumping off point for his spring fabric selection at Hugo Boss, with subtle yet intriguing results. The vertical-lined surface concept yielded a sweeping array of micro-plisse forms on the runway - from tiny knife pleats that were cut into lace, or even onto tulle overlays that dropped to mid calf above knee-length dresses. The pleats gave a gravitas and weighty structure without saddling the garments with bulky weight, and the effect was newly feminine for Boss, which has spent decades in the sober category of business-minded tailoring. And though he played effectively with micro beading and tweed surfaces that looked like shards of broken glass, Wu kept all of his lines super clean and clear, drawing everything from mini A-line skirts, cotton poplin shirts and pencil dresses in sharp straight lines. The tension felt right, if safe, but definitely saleable - which is the name of the game in today's big brand world.
Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
