Veronique Branquinho

PARIS, February 28, 2007
By Nicole Phelps
The wide-leg trouser is giving the sexy, skinny pant—dominant for the last couple of seasons—a serious run for its money. Veronique Branquinho, the Belgian designer with a knack for chicly understated tailoring, made them her focal point for Fall.

"I was interested in new volumes," she said backstage. "Wider, A-line shapes for dresses, coats, and trousers." She dismissed the idea that she was referencing the seventies, but hints of the Me Decade could be seen not only in the elongated silhouette created by ponchos but also in the muted, but not somber, color palette and in the socks worn with chunky high-heeled sandals. Still, Branquinho was right that there was nothing retro about this collection.

This is one of Paris' quieter shows, and due to inconvenient, out-of-the-way locations and an overcrowded schedule, it doesn't always get the attention it deserves. But loyalists have been wise to stick with her. The cocoon made from interlocking diamonds of wool, cashmere, and other knits; the forest-green cape with the foreshortened, peaked shoulders; and the sophisticated way she cut and matched plaids all showed a renewed confidence. This was one of her strongest shows in years.