"Forward, March".(military influence on fashion)

Byline: --ANDR�% LEON TALLEY

"A very dressed-up, sporty, military idea," said Miuccia Prada , describing her season-defining collection of 26 astonishing looks, which took olive drab and khaki to new heights of refined femininity. Now, as in the past, she explored the world of one of her biggest inspirations, the late Yves Saint Laurent (see page 216), morphing his images of lipstick prints and hearts into grass-green versions on fluid viscose dresses with outrageously jeweled necklaces embroidered onto their collars. A smashing trench coat could be thrown over white jeans or a swimsuit, and an LBD with soft, rounded short sleeves featured crystal brooches sewn onto the shoulders, like surreal epaulets. A simple white T-shirt worn with silk heart-print shorts can be paired with a wonderful snakeskin messenger bag studded with Swarovski crystals, which also embellished everything from chandelier earrings, mounted on grosgrain-like military badges, to flat mules with paper-thin soles. For day or night, the handbag this season is a luxe python shoulder bag right out of a Gold Coast safari trip.

Looking back to go forward, hemlines grazing jeweled flat sandals were Prada's emphatic nod to Saint Laurent's famous 1967 African haute couture collection, and the brilliant neomilitary khaki green, looking as if it had been injected with liquid light, was a play on the color of the iconic fox chubby from his 1971 Wartime Forties haute couture collection. There were long leopard-khaki silk-faille dinner dresses that spoke of elegance, too. Instead of merely taking his Rive Gauche safari jacket or le smoking trouser suit, ...