Doo.Ri

NEW YORK, February 6, 2007
By Nicole Phelps
Doo-Ri Chung had a very good year. She nabbed the Swarovski Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent in June and then in November took home the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund's big prize. What Chung has going for her is a distinct personal vision, and for Fall she continued to sharpen her focus. That isn't to say the collection was free from slip-ups. The crystal cages and harnesses worn over her signature jersey dresses got a little complicated, and it would've been nice to see her work in colors other than bordeaux, emerald, and navy.

But if today's show wasn't on a level with her accomplished Spring outing, there was still a lot to like. The silhouette was short and fresh, and her draping was at its most imaginative in a number of swingy cocktail numbers, the hems of which looped over to swag decoratively from the side seams or the bust. Ironically for a designer known for her dresses, it was the tight, rib-clinching pants and cropped three-quarter-sleeve jackets shown with elbow gloves that were the strongest looks. Chung should consider adding more sexy tailoring to her dress parade the next time around.