I love when designers do the unexpected and take something that has been around a long time and use it in a new way. The Fall/Winter collection from Legal Insanity is all about fusing contradictory elements into something new and exciting. One element is the fabric. Through most of the collection, designer Datrip Blackbart uses traditional menswear fabrics – pinstripes and plaids. However, you never see them made into the traditional suit. For the men, they show up in dropped-crotch pants and hoodies and other urban casuals. Meanwhile, for women you see the quiet contradiction of the traditional menswear pinstripe in a strapless formal gown. These pieces deny the expected and take us in an unexpected direction – but more importantly, they work. Looking at this gorgeous pinstripe gown, you can see how perfectly it works.

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