a fairytale romance

While lots of designers have the heavy layering thing that was such a big deal last fall, Vera Wang, genuine layering expert (only Miuccia Prada and Stella McCartney can do better) continues to show the rest of the world how it's done -

Like the only other genuine standout show this week (that's Proenza Schouler), Ms Wang has created a definitive Vera Wang look that did not look tired, repetitive, or signature to the point of parody. It was as romantic and ascetic as a Degas painting, and even as she echoed smokey colour scheme of what feels like every other designer this week, it managed to look fresh.

The whole show, like Alice Roi's show, evoked images of the kind of school girls (or at least young girls) whom you might run into in an enchanted forest -

There were luxury touches like fur and alligator, but it was without snobbery -

It wasn't about looking rich - it was done a way that felt very simple and unshowy.

I love the flashes of bronze and sequins, obscured slightly by the sheer chiffons -

It makes for a mood of bygone decadence, which makes it slightly sad, especially since some were shown with peasant-ish (a very luxe peasant) headscarves like these -

The flat boots were also a nice touch, providing the vaguely peasant farmer element, which I suppose is the Russian theme all the reviews were talking about. I like the idea of clomping around in flat boots, and actually getting somewhere, which is impossible with all those monster platform boot thingies women have been tottering around in. (Why is tottering a good look?)

Some of looks had an almost witch-y vibe -

Not the corny, cackling Halloween variety, or the gothy Morgan Le Fay sort mind you, but the kind who loves animals, walk around barefoot, and appears once in a hundred years to provide sage advice to those battling evil (I'm thinking Lord of the Rings here, if Tolkien had bothered with creating any worthy women characters).

Come to think of it, Galadriel might have liked a couple of these dresses -

There's something very fairytale about the whole show, but it all manages to stay within practical reach - you don't get that "don't touch" feeling; there's plenty of luxury (shearling headscarves, fur coats), but it's not precious.

In short, it was a show that provided plenty of fantasy while keeping its feel firmly on the ground. And that makes it truly, the best show of the week.

Pictures of www.style.com