New York Fashion Week: You Get the (General) Idea

General Idea's spring show -- which took place on Friday afternoon -- began with a grainy black and white projection of guys in old-timey swimsuits cavorting on the beach. But when the models emerged, the black and white shifted to Technicolor a la The Wizard of Oz -- or The Wizard of St. Tropez, perhaps. Designer Bumsuk Choi was inspired by a jaunt to the French resort town.

The clothes were slightly off-kilter takes on French nautical gear - Breton sweaters with the sleeves ending well above the wrist, fisherman hats, and utility vests all made appearances. A stand-out was a chunky orange cable knit sweater. In fact, there was a lot of orange. But this wasn't inspired by the color of Jacques Cousteau's cap or by the hue of life preservers. "I saw a sunrise in St. Tropez," Choi said post-show, "and tried to translate the colors. The orange was that sun going down." Well, it would also make the wearer much easier to spot if he falls overboard.

--WILLIAM VAN METER

all photos courtesy of Sarah Olin