Pringle of Scotland

MILAN, March 1, 2009
By Nicole Phelps
Clare Waight Keller must be thrilled when Spring is behind her and she can start to work on Fall—Pringle of Scotland has such a long history in knits, after all. Today the creative director exploited the house's know-how to make some beauties, including two very different cardigans—one in a chunky cashmere chain-link cable knit and the other in merino wool densely embroidered with cashmere loops and fish-scale sequins. She also found believable ways to incorporate fashion's current fascination with a strong shoulder. Witness a boxy, somewhat oversize jacket that married traditional menswear fabric in front with a ribbed knit in back, as well as a handmade dress with foxtail fur sleeves.

But when Waight Keller moved away from sweater dressing and tailoring, the collection lost focus. It was hard to connect the dots between the Donegal tweeds, Prince of Wales checks, and all the charcoal cashmere that opened the show and the pheasant-feather chubby and skirt that closed it. She'd be smarter to skip the plays for editorial attention and really hone in on the luxuriously understated investment pieces that are the brand's raison d'être—one, incidentally, that's more relevant than ever in a season like this.

Style.com

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