narciso rodriguez

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

If you want to feel chic, sleek, and confident, Narciso Rodriguez is the guy to see. Now the designer is venturing online, with an eight-piece collection that delivers his signature style at surprisingly nice prices.

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

SEEING DOUBLE

"I could rock that," says mother of two Erica Reid (right) when she sees this reversible trench—at $350, the most expensive piece, but also two coats in one. "You could wear it white side out for day, then switch to black for evening," perhaps over a racy red dress ($270). Interior designer Amy Lau (left), an eBay habitué ("It's a great resource for inspiration"), calls Rodriguez's new partnership "genius." Here she showcases the trench's versatility by wearing it with jeans (7 For All Mankind, $155) and a jersey top ($65). "Narciso's tailoring is exquisite. I love good craftsmanship," she says.

On Erica: Earrings, Dean Harris. Bangle, Ippolita. Ring, Glow by Sheila Fajl.

On Amy: Earrings, Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry. Necklace, Noir Jewelry.

narciso rodriguez

GRAPHIC AND NOVEL

"I love a tailored dress," says Marjorie Gubelmann, founder of the home-fragrance company Vie Luxe. "You just zip it up and go—it's practical." Not to mention body enhancing: "I'm not a size 4, and I think a dress can hide a multitude of sins. Narciso's silhouettes are extremely flattering." This sleeveless black sheath ($250) is distinguished not only by a killer shape but by Rodriguez's gift for color-blocking—a triangle of white on one side casts an attractive light on the face.

Necklace, R.J. Graziano. Cuff, Cara Croninger.
narciso rodriguez

Photo: Sergio Kurhajec

THE "IT" DRESS

"Narciso's clothes have drama, but they're never loud or overdone," says publicist Blanca Lassalle, whose clients have included Marc Anthony and Jennifer Lopez. Take this matte jersey sheath ($250), which tweaks the usual little-black-dress concept with a surprising off-center slice of color. Lassalle likes the combination of dark-and-slimming and a "festive" touch of red, and she considers Rodriguez's tailoring unmatched ("It hugs my body in the right places"). Another asset: It can go straight from work to evening.

Earrings, diamond bangles, and ring, Ivanka Trump Fine Jewelry. Rose gold bangle, Alexis Bittar. Shoes, Jimmy Choo.
erica reid

FRANKLY SCARLET

"I was onto Narciso from the very beginning!" says Erica Reid, who discovered Rodriguez's clothes in 1995 at an Atlanta department store. "He was the new kid on the block." Rodriguez himself has suggested that his sensual, feminine designs owe something to his Cuban-American heritage, and Reid agrees: "He's Latino, and he knows women—it's in his blood." And isn't it nice to see an Empire dress ($270) that doesn't make you look pregnant? The secrets: strategic seams that define the bustline and a waistline that dips lower in back.

Earrings, Dean Harris. Bangle, Ippolita. Ring, Glow by Sheila Fajl.

How did it all come together? Read the full article