A Fine Balance at Nina Ricci

PARIS, France — Even cowgirls get the blues. In Paris, that is. Guillaume Henry was after an American western inspiration at Nina Ricci this season. The mix of Parisian lady — a Nina Ricci pillar — and Death Valley cowgirl sounds highly unlikely, but honestly it worked.

There was sophisticated tailoring and fringes, stars and snap buttons, lace and odd colours, mixed in ways that were always womanly, and spirited. After a few seasons of utter control, Henry broke free and let loose, sometimes even incoherently, and the result is that the Nina Ricci girl is finally finding her own identity. She is classy just as much as she is naughty: a fine balance of opposites that gives the label a boost of energy.