At Staffonly, the clothing made a much better case for the collection than its rather elaborate theory of human behavior. Entitled No Duty to Be Cute , the spring show took the zoo as an allegory for the office, where individuals, like pets, are expected to fit the specifications of whoever is in charge. The point was made, possibly greater than necessary, in an efficiency concerning casting, conformity, and the perseverance of policies.
The clothes, nevertheless, needed much less explanation. Vibrant, slightly preppy attires had the air of an eccentric college or a particularly rowdy workplace, sabotaged by twisted shirt fronts, skewed plackets, displaced pockets and sleeves collected into uneven pleats, and connections put on in reverse. Layered collars and cuffs, and contrasting panels and textiles that might be folded up and repaired into shape, offered silhouettes an off-kilter beauty. The effect was organized at a range, significantly careless up close: conformity with a few objections lodged in the joints.
