A small park was the setting for the ARNYS presentation (complete with a fountain on which the brand’s name had been cleverly attached), which was all about Puttin’ on the Ritz. And while the opening look–a belted jumpsuit of bold, vertical shirt stripes–was far from anything Fred Astaire might have worn, what followed would have pleased him mightily. The collection ran the gamut from dapper shirts, vests, trousers and jackets to slim knits, most of them with the slightly-vintage feel of another era. Only the bare torsos of the models (with our era’s de rigueur tan, sculpted abs) gave the game away.

Many of the lightweight jackets were cut from tissue-thin fabrics in candy colors–which, when paired with white sneakers, injected a bit of fun (and sexiness) into what could have been a stiff collection. Irreverent, Astaire-like touches (ties used as belts, for example) also did away with any stuffiness.

Susan with Jean Grimbert

ARNYS is an old French company (it dates back to the thirties), still run today by two brothers, Jean and Michel Grimbert. They’re a wonderful family, and they design a collection that’s equally charming. It exists apart from fashion, in a way, but it’s still very chic. And very, very French!

–– Mark Grischke

Photographs by Stephane Israël