Richard Chai’s Love show was full of surprises

Richard Chai’s Love show was full of surprises, not the least of which is his ability to make a really cool collection out of a monotone palette of oatmeal beige, inky black and charcoal gray.

Just when our eyes were glazing over a bit from the lack of color, out comes a model with bright pink hair.

But that little trick aside, the color – or lack of it – forced us to focus on the cut of the clothes and the intricate layering, which somehow managed to feel both well studied and completely insouciant at the same time.

And with temperatures hovering in the mid 20s outside, all those multi-layered outfits had me wanting to arm wrestle a parka off the back of a model – just maybe not the one with the pink hair.

Chai's fall 2011 collection had cozy written all over it: wool tweed swing coats, cashmere vests, merino wool funnel neck tops and a sumptuous piece described in the show notes as “moss brushed wool viscose drapey twill double layer parka.”

Backstage after the show, Chai was mobbed by well-wishers, reporters and 6-foot-tall blonde models blowing him kisses (it’s good to be a cute young designer).

I nudged my way up to the front and asked him for his thoughts behind all those rich layers.

“It’s about the spirit of individuality, not a uniform way of dressing,” he said. “I love textures, and I was inspired by menswear.”