AW 2008-09

An Vandevorst and Filip Arickx celebrated the tenth anniversary of their label with a highly choreographed show in which 14 video screens tracked the models' progress from backstage down a flight of stairs to the runway. It was followed by a cocktail party: In place of a finale, waiters streamed out with trays of Champagne. As guests, including the designers' fellow Belgian Dries Van Noten, lingered on the runway, Arickx explained the concept for Fall: "We noticed that every season there's a dualism to our collections, and this season we decided to play with that more."

Hard versus soft and tailoring versus lingerie are among the dualities this husband-and-wife team is best known for. Here, they turned their signature shirting into a kind of foundation; nearly every look began with a black or white button-down and cotton leggings to match. On top, representing the hard part of their oeuvre, they layered narrow, tailored capes or doubled jackets (a single piece that looked like a shrunken suit jacket over a longer one); for the soft alternative, they offered oversize Fair Isle cardigan coats with even bigger scarves, and shiny puffer jackets with split sleeves that ended in mittens.

A few dresses, worn undone at the back or loosely quilted all over, alluded to the schizophrenia that Arickx mentioned. But others with soft tucks above and below the waist looked perfectly sane, not to mention pretty. The same goes for most of this collection.