At Judy Turner’s Paris showroom this past June, Conley Averett seemed to be at a crossroads.
It’s not because he’s melancholy. Instead, he seemed to be thinking about the issues that all budding designers must grapple with: creativity versus commerce. Sadly, it can’t be all the former or the latter – Everett mentioned that as Judy Turner matured, he felt the need to cater to a wider range of retailers and The burden of customer needs.
Knitwear is his forte, and it was no different in this collection. A standout was the chunky-knit cardigan, which featured a new plaid label pattern that carried over to a structureless bucket hat.
Otherwise, the pleats and sparkly pieces add technicality and some oomph, but the bandeau dress with a diamond-paneled skirt results in a sort of multi-mermaid-tail hem, see It was awkward to look at, and a teal dress with a deep U-shaped cutout in the back didn’t feel like it would take much away from Everett’s ingenuity. He still has some thinking to do.
