Lawrence Steele
MILAN, March 2, 2001
By
Lawrence Steele clearly feels right at home in a season dominated by chromatic extremes; his no-frills collection was done almost exclusively in black and white. But that's not to say that it was all about bare-bones minimalism—instead, Steele played up a naive, if somewhat perverse, girl-wants-to-be-a-grown-up look.How else to explain black, above-the-knee pleated leather skirts with a white-trimmed sailor top, Girl Scout foulards over liquid minisheaths and Empire-waist playground dresses with gathered short sleeves? Delicate ribbons trimmed fitted pullovers, Bermuda shorts loosened up severe blazers and pearl buttons adorned classic pea coats.
Steele's only concession to color came in the form of a couple of gently ruffled, sheer off-the-shoulder tops worn with black-velvet skirts, black stockings and patent double-bow Mary Janes. Add a plush black fur and you're ready to go—after all, even the nicest girls need a bit of mischief sometimes.
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