Narciso Rodriguez is a designer with an ultraspecific point of view, so much so that recently his runways have offered little with which to captivate a crowd.

The collection he showed on Tuesday night was more of the same, but with a twist. On the one hand, all of the precision seaming and innerwear constructions looked oh-so familiar; on the other, an odd randomness offered snippets of racy, lady, retro (this one perhaps intentional) and sporty.

Yes, there were some beautiful pieces, notably alluring dresses and a white coat embroidered down the front with three sets of concentric rectangles. But sometimes even Rodriguez’s cuts — long the designer’s forte — seemed awkward. What, for example, was with that stiff blue and black knit coat with the mile-wide sleeves?

Rodriguez may indeed be feeling certain business pressures: He is rumored to be unhappy in his relationship with Aeffe, and since the departure of Roberto Pesaro, he has operated sans ceo. But getting the business side together is but one issue Rodriguez must confront. Fashion’s first mission is to design clothes that create longing, and right now he isn’t doing that.


To view Narciso Rodriguez's full collection click here.