This was one very chic fall show from Yirantian Guo. In a season of Tess McGill cameos, Guo crafted a believable and contemporary proposition that rendered office attire as everyday-wear. For all the corporate garb in the fall collections, she showed the kinds of clothes that will actually make you want to comply with back-to-office mandates.
To start, she slimmed down and sharpened the masculine, oversized, and ’80s silhouettes we saw so much of elsewhere, and there were no pinstripes or ties—those classic symbols of male authority—to be found. Instead, Guo considered the female form, crafting a svelte uniform with a sense of sensuality at its core. “This collection reinforces the brand’s core design philosophy: Women don’t need to be defined by profession or context,” she wrote in her show notes.
A year ago she imagined her fall lineup around a lawyer, and last season she outfitted a dancer, both worthy exercises, even if at times they felt overly narrative-driven. This season, Guo imagined a “female agent,” who she named Cipher. Despite the more cinematic persona, this collection felt more grounded in reality. Guests nodded in approval as Guo proposed mini shift dresses cut in wool suitings and a run of flattering, creased semi-flared slacks, which she paired with sexy blouses and terrific jackets featuring rounded storm flaps.
Guo has a robust business in China and makes clothes for women’s realities rather than her own designer daydreams. That’s not to say she doesn’t allow room for whimsy—a few furry bolero jackets looked like a high-octane ’90s fantasy come to life, and those lowrise pleated skirts were certainly dreamy. “It’s not designing for the woman who is doing a mission, but for the daily [life] of the woman, it’s sexy, clean, and smart,” she declared. Her instinct is right on the target.
