Christian Cota has been busy. In addition to exploring upstate
hiking trails—part of what led him to this season's functional,
technical mood—he also collaborated on a collection of shoes
with Aldo and worked with Saga for his first serious foray into
furs. But back to the hiking: Inspired by serious mountain
climbers and their gear, as well as the dress of high-altitude
natives—Tibetans, Andeans, Himalayans—Cota approached his
clothes from the inside out, thinking about things like secret
pockets, reversible fabrics, and detachable hoods. The influence
of the Tibetans, et al., came through in a heretofore unseen
interest in draping and the growth of Cota's knitwear category.
For the most part, everything worked. The lambskin leather top
that opened the show had a soft, textured look; if it wasn't
what you'd pick out for a walk in the woods, it had an ease to
it ideal for wearing day-to-night in the city. A felted wool
pencil skirt with a swathe of fox running down the front was
country-chic; conservatively c