Douglas Hannant Cruise 2009

Douglas Hannant's cruise collection went from beige to bold in the run of show and yet it still left us unexcited. Douglas Hannant himself says that he likes to strikes a balance between modernism and romanticism for a uniquely American feel. And while we agree that he juxtaposes sportswear and evening wear elements we can't necessarily muster up a great deal of enthusiasm for the end result. His use of rich fabrics and textures is undoubtedly his strong point but we can't help but feel the "d" word leaping to our lips when looking through the collection. Yes, we mean derivative. From a dress that hints at Oscar De La Renta to a blasé beige suit that could have been in the Calvin Klein resort collection if it had gone poorly. We remain largely nonplussed by the effort.

Undoubtedly, his "modern classics" will remain popular at retailers like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman among ladies who need something expensive and safe. We would argue there are better collections that do the job but sometimes a little diversity is exactly what a lady who lunches is looking for in her wardrobe line up, if not her lunch companions.