DOUGLAS HANNANT TAKES HIS WOMAN ON A FALL JOURNEY.

Lately, when I think of Douglas Hannant, I think of Revenge.  Not the getting even sort of revenge, but the must-watch ABC primetime sort of Revenge.  Beautiful, classy women, impeccably groomed, stylishly dressed, living in their Hamptons mansions, lunching, lightly, with others of their ilk, plotting their survival in the East End hierarchy.

For Fall 2011, Douglas Hannant took that impossibly chic Hamptons woman he designs so perfectly for and transplanted her in the English countryside.  Showing on a leaf-strewn runway at Lincoln Center’s Library for the Performing Arts, Hannant took his inspiration and mixed in a few other influences, to create a Fall line fit for the modern gentry.  “It has a decidedly English manor feel to it,” he told me.  “I’ve used some Sherlock Holmes, some screen influences, and we’ve thrown a few kilts into it.  The inspiration for the collection is Wallis Simpson, so it has a very aristocratic feel to it.”

Aristocratic is just the right word.  The Sherlock Holmes influence was obvious in the great overcoats and Deerstalker hats.  And there were beautiful variations on houndstooth, in a short vest over leather pants, a lovely, short-sleeved dress and, less subtly, in a big short jacket.  The classic, beige knit dress was fitted and fitting for Douglas Hannant and so was a sleek, beige business suit.

But it wasn’t all muted tones.  The bright pops of color were gorgeous and refreshing, in a graphic green and purple dress, a bright orange dress with a brown bib, and a sleek sheath.

Evening wear was magnificent: a hot pink off-the shoulder gown, and another in green with a sexy, black lace overlay.

The makeup, by Metier de Beaute, was just right, and glowingly feminine.  The eye was soft, with champagne colors, and the brow was strong without being theatrical.

The hair, by Edward Tricomi for Warren Tricomi Salon, hinted at ‘30s and ‘40s glamour, without being to nostalgic.  The best thing about it, according to Tricomi, is that it gives women another option to add to their Fall look.  “Today, there is no one look,” he said.  “There are so many different designers doing so many different things.  Today there are so many looks, so many different styles.  Which is terrific, because you don’t just have one size person.”

It’s no surprise that everything would come together so perfectly at a Douglas Hannant show.  This is a man who knows his customer, and is creative enough to give her just what she wants, every season, and keep it from getting old.  He said, “I do the same collection every season, the same pieces.  A woman can come back and she’ll find all the things she loves, but with a new slant, a new flavor to it, each season.”

That’s why his customers couldn’t dress without him.  And if we ever see Emily Thorne or Victoria Grayson in Fall sweaters instead of Summer dresses, this is what they’ll be wearing.

Photography: Anton Brookes