The Monotonous Maidens of Vera Wing at New York Fashion Week S/S 2015

Vera Wang, world-renowned for her bridal designs and lifestyle products, chose a somber look for her Spring/Summer 2015 collection. Most of the designs are stark sable with occasional ruffles, joined by a handful of glamorous mini-dresses—one being a standout with gold baroque pattern, another silver overlaid with disco-styled crystals. However, the rest of the collection seems more like work wear than evening wear.

Though it may be innovative to present a muted palette, the collection can also crumble under the weight of monotony. The floral prints, when they do appear, feel like an afterthought, and stay within a safe range of mustard yellow and forest green.

However, it seems Wang is aware of the challenges that come with making a ready-to-wear collection for the masses, which she expressed in a 2011 interview with Interview Magazine. “Several reviewers have spoken about the length I go to dive off the deep end,” she said. “Sometimes they say I’m afraid to just put out something plain. Certainly a big challenge for me with eveningwear is to make it look modern and artistic and avant-garde…. I’m also aware that a starlet might go to more than one place that night, so the piece could also offer, maybe not a revolution, but an evolution.”

Though the glittering miniskirts will be sure to turn some heads next spring, one hopes Wang will have a stronger point of view for her future collections as she continues to explore her eveningwear horizons.