Malandrino Does Power Pastels For Spring 2013

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When we attend a Malandrino presentation, we expect the clothes to be stylish, sexy, and very luxurious with beautifully intricate detailing. What we don't expect is to see all that done in a palette of pastels instead of the designer's typically bolder hues. But aside from a number of black creations, that's exactly what we found at her presentation yesterday. Catherine Malandrino explained to us why she went that route:

I used a lot of white and frozen pastels, icy colors. Powder pink and mint green and something that is very washed out to really bring a light into the woman: spirit and light.

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We're guessing the Parisian designer's use of the term, "Washed out," has more to do with English being her second language than the way she sees the colors of this collection. These were no wimpy washed out pastels. They were fresh and light, yet still bold enough to grab our attention. We wouldn't go as far as calling them kick ass, but on the food chain of pastels, they're pretty close.

By using open-weave knits, leather cut-outs and sheer mesh fabrics, Malandrino incorporated the wearer's skin tone into the patterns of many of her designs. This worked particularly well in a white leather and mesh jacket. We also loved an adorable short, white, pleated lace skirt and a pair of high-waisted flowing pants. The collection's accessories included 1960s style white peaked caps and white fishnet knee highs with heels—the latter of which, looks much cuter than it sounds.

Last year Elie Tahari bailed the Malandrino label out of its financial woes. Judging by the two collections we've seen since then, Tahari obviously respects Malandrino's creative vision enough to let her continue to be true to it. He also seems to genuinely like his new colleague. At the presentation, we spotted Tahari happily both taking and posing for photos with Catherine and her family.

· All Fashion Week Coverage [Racked]
· Malandrino [Official Site]