Roland Mouret The Avant-Garde Manqué

In a cavernous venue where giant white balloons bobbed overhead, the Frenchiest of French designers, Roland Mouret, showed his fall collection.

For fall, the designer of the much-knocked-off “galaxy” dress moved subtly away from his ladylike roots, and delved into Rick Owens-ish territory with looks that incorporated hoods, leather and wool, and wide, draping lapels.

Oversized pocket flaps and zippers were also among Mouret’s post-modern touches.

He may never be a genuine member of fashion’s avant garde, but Mouret is also not the one-trick pony many wrote him off as after his sudden rise to success. It’s hardly Comme des Garçons, but looks like this show Mouret is capable of more than just pretty, vintage-inspired, dresses.

Though of course, there were those, too.

These layered pieces of scalloped chiffon look like a nicer and much more thought-out version of what Amy Sarabi was probably trying to do on Project Runway last week with those hideous pants.

Something about this says medieval monk to me.

But then, if you ditched the hood or just turned it down, couldn’t you see Carla Bruni in this dress, like, tomorrow?