Monique Lhuillier Spring 2016: Prim without prom

This assured and highly modern collection marks a leap forward in Monique Lhuillier’s evolving aesthetic of grown-up, womanly sensuality. For Spring/Summer 2016, the designer crafts sleek, aerodynamic cocktail dresses from jewel-toned silk shantung. Lace is used to tantalizing effect, forming a cropped bodice over a chiffon trumpet skirt or dramatically overlaying a sheer column gown. Silhouettes favor shoulders, nipped waists, volume and forgiving exposure.

For a designer who once seemed destined to languish in bridal purgatory, this collection is a triumph. The floaty yet unfussy lines, the measured, strategic embellishments and the worldly, warm, saccharine-free sweetness all signal that Monique Lhuillier has gone more Jenny Packham, less Vera Wang.

Finally, she’s prim without the prom.

The shoes in the Monique Lhuillier Spring 2016 runway show were also the designer’s creations. (photo courtesy of Getty Images)

Photos: Monique Lhuillier Spring 2016 – New York Fashion Week
all photos courtesy of FashionGPS

Video: Monique Lhuillier Spring 2016 – New York Fashion Week
video by Andie Davis / Meniscus Magazine