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Crispin & Basilio -- a promising new contemporary line

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Crispin & Basilio designer Donny Barrios has got the L.A. girl pegged. The inspiration for his Spring/Summer ’09 collection was ‘the blurred lines between relaxed and dressed up,’ which perfectly describes the majority of women’s wardrobes in this city.

Barrios’ direction may not be unique, but he still managed to keep the look fresh and inspiring. Beige and ivory chiffon blouses and short dresses were pulled together with navy blue linen vests and dull gold cotton canvas skirts. His final dress, a long silver gown with cascading ruffles down the front, worn with a textured cropped leather jacket was the most impressive ensemble and looked to require more skill than the simple airy tops and loose vests.

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The show was a nice, tight 21 looks -- all of which showed that Barrios is only doing what he can do well, not diluting a collection by throwing anything and everything on a runway, something more of this week’s designers should learn to do.

Barrios’ has a good start to what shows a lot of potential for being a solid contemporary label. And it won’t be a surprise if his clothes soon make it onto the backs of young Hollywood and into the closets of normal, everyday L.A. girls.

-- Melissa Magsaysay

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