This spiffy Preen Line collection saw two flavors of source material insinuated within Justin Thornton and Thea Bregazzi’s signature blend of asymmetry, volume, and twist. From the New York Dolls, the designers culled leopard print aplenty and only ironically tough insignia—lightning flashes, a scorpion, skull Pacha cherries—for knits and embroidery. The mash to that mish came from the rodeo via steer-head bolo ties on ruffle-shouldered shirting, long-fringed hems, and interesting riffs on the Western shirt that saw piping promoted to ruffle and shirt extended to skirt in blocks of claret and blue. There were lots and lots of ditzy ruffles on dresses of irregularly assembled panels that emanated an almost grungy disarray and were meticulously designed to do so. One long cotton overcoat with three layered buttons on each cuff bore a frayed ruffle on its left lapel that parted company with the garment at the top of the shoulder to flap free at the back. Lace detailing across the neckline and sleeves of dresses in all floral or mixtures of floral and the house stripe might, you’d think, veer perilously close to the chintzy—not here, though.Thornton and Bregazzi are masterful at offsetting conventional prettiness with flashes of skewiff; theirs is a prettiness that looks strong, not staid or saccharine.
