STYLE : FASHION : Hip Parade

The costume parade that lit up the ‘60s has inspired some of New York’s most creative designers to update the colorful look for modern times. Beatle jackets, snakeskin pants, tall silk hats, tiger-print vests and yards of suede fringe are laced through the lines of Todd Oldham, Perry Ellis designer Marc Jacobs and newcomer Anna Sui.

Jacobs and Oldham mixed vintage humor with compatible themes. Jacobs’ bandleader suit combines brass buttons and soutache braid for a Sgt. Pepper look. Oldham’s line, built around an upholstery-fabric theme, plays plush leopard prints against silk damask and black leather, recalling some of the finest and funkiest homes in Carnaby Street history.

Gentleman Geoffrey Beene was the unexpected player in this fun-loving crowd. Alone among older, New York establishment designers, he let the circus be his guide. Beene stitched glimmering tigers and rhinos across bolero jackets that would do Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey proud. Stripes reminiscent of the big top inspired his sophisticated plum and black silk evening coat.

All of these layers of details and patterns may prove to be nothing more than a joyous fashion sideshow. But at the very least, they provide a cheery antidote to the ubiquitous gray pinstripes coming to town this fall.