NEW YORK, September 9, 2006 – The starting point for Alice Roi's spring collection was La Petite Voleuse (The Little Thief), a coming-of-age film directed by François Truffaut and starring Charlotte Gainsbourg. That movie was released in 1988, and the show's soundtrack (Black Flag, Smashing Pumpkins, Cake) and boxy, flared-shouldered silhouettes also referenced the late eighties/early nineties, a time when fashion was more bold than frilly. In other words, there was less emphasis than usual on the girly prettiness Roi fans have come to know. Familiar ruffle-sleeved blouses and pinafore-style dresses played supporting roles to tougher zip-front jumpers and skinny-legged pants, and one notable pair of bleached jeans. The resulting mix wasn't always on target. Roi described the collection as being a battle between "pretty, girly and more conceptual clothes, between hard and soft," but it's not hard to see where her heart lies. The pieces that stood out gently filtered prep looks through an eighties filter: a tee dress with a collegiate cardigan, a slouch jacket, a jumper over a blouse—all nick-able Roi staples.

– Laird Borrelli