Joeffer Caoc - fall/winter 2007
Joeffer Caoc hardens the look for fall/winter 2007, while at the same time, confusingly plugs into Technicolor.
The collection has a rather Spartan quality, foregoing details where they would have abounded in seasons past. Experiments in symmetrical neck play are replaced by square cuts and tunic straps, a general reduction in form that allows for some clever combinations.
Caoc is at his best when he marries two of his nifty creations to riff off each other. A black high-waist skirt is simple enough to be worn with a silk blouse and its dizzying Ionic print, while the micro-pinstripe jacket plays a secondary role to the louder black vinyl skirt.
The popping palette, rather saturated for a designer whose comfort zone is typically a field of neutral tones, leads me to question the apparent simplicity of the collection. The acid green, cobalt blue, and fuchsia pieces, however attention-grabbing, are powerless to reverse the overall lacklustre effect.
Silk satin is one the main fabrics used here, and it is often wrapped to appear lifeless or clunky, bearing none of the airiness of the gossamer creations that Caoc has become famous for sculpting in his other favourite fabric, chiffon. It must be noted that the tucked charmeuse works well in a number of dresses, and reminds us what a true Caoc shape is capable of being.
The experimental silhouettes of the coats take this collection into yet another direction, increasing the options, and possibly diluting too much.
Daniel Cox, Fashion Editor
Marek Wlazlo, Photographer
