Veteran Spanish designer David Elfin opened his Fall 2010 show with Spanish model Eleonora Bose (of Tom Ford era Gucci fame) in an offset Crayola yellow pant suit, complete with hyper-andro cropped yellow coif, a strong visual indicator of what was set to come out.

In a time when the industry is calling out for clean and serene, looking back at minimalism and what not, one would think Elfin, known for his strictness, would feel right at home in his elements. Instead he set off to create a collection that was yes, strict, but also appropriately inventive and forward thinking.

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David Elfin Fall 2010

Like any Elfin look, here, classic suiting was sliced and reconfigured with say, the hem of a sport jacket sitting on a skirt’s waist, or on a pair of pants. Bizarre color shots of offset neons and mustard, white gloves and other styling tricks aside, this collection’s strength lie in the impeccable tailoring that felt fresh and different, and not just for the sake of being avant-garde.

Winning looks came in office friendly grays, many of them being slightly mannish in their simplicity, the strongest being an elegant gray wool tunic worn with matching pants that could easily give Calvin Klein a run for his money. After all, when you think about gray office ready suiting, it takes a strong hand to ensure the coolness Elfin tackled with his best straight forward looks. — Naveed Hussain, VagabondNYC