Martin Grant

PARIS, March 1, 2008
By Nicole Phelps
Retailers love his kind of clothes: sophisticated, but not severe, suits and dresses that nod in the direction of trend but don't come with a built-in "best before" date. And today Martin Grant duly delivered on his fans' expectations with a collection that came in a woman-friendly palette of orangey-red and electric blue, as well as black, navy, camel, and ivory. He opened with a flame-red coat that will be like a beacon on the sales floor; it had two big, black buttons on a capelike overlay above a belted waist. His other coats were either true capes (a striking camel cashmere one, worn with black cigarette pants, fell to the hips from a stand-away collar) or came with short dolman sleeves, a big fur collar, and self-belts.

The designer played with different volumes when it came to dresses, too. A silk-satin sack and a drapey jersey were V-shaped, with a lot of room up top and narrowed skirts. But then he showed a gorgeous white charmeuse hourglass with a single, subtle rosette at the hem. Its counterpoint was a dramatic ivory smoking jacket with satin lapels, worn with long, full pants with permanent creases. This was Grant at his reality-chic best.