NEW YORK, United States — Though Brandon Maxwell is a cult newcomer to New York's eveningwear scene, it hasn't stopped him from pulling out all the stops to frame his designs in exactly the kind of baroque environs his customers most certainly frequent. For his third season that meant staging his show in the Russian Tea Room, a gilded, mirrored box that provided all the decoration needed for his collection of monochrome suits, gowns, jumpsuits and cocktail frocks.

From the first shawl collar suit in palest apricot crepe through to cream satin peephole tops and flared olive ball gowns, Maxwell instilled a haughty bygone glamour in his designs, that (for the most part) countered the kitsch of the Shania Twain sound bites and salon-style model poses that accompanied them. Whilst they suggested the idea of American 'haute couture,' his ballooning backs and curlicue bust details had the tendency to dip into costume at times, yet it was their immaculate finishing that averted any close calls with the fashion police.