For Fall 2013, Jill Stuart seemed drawn to the dark side with a romantic twist. Gone were the ivory satin frocks of Spring. Stuart, known for her pretty party dresses, sent a gorgeous selection of black eyelet lace frocks, jackets, aristocratic white tie-neck blouses, and a plethora of flirty A-line silhouettes down the runway.

Deep emerald, navy and touches of lux gold shined brightly this season, but Stuart kept it interesting by adding bright pops of red, blue and yellow on two dresses, and then towards the end, incorporating berry hues.  Dresses were most prominent in the collection, with a sprinkling of chic, tailored pants.

For coats, the name of the game was volume and large lapels. Standouts this season: an eyelet lace jacket and skirt set, a beautifully sheer long sleeve top with metallic pants, and a halter dress with floral applique. Towards the end, Stuart added Marc Jacobs-esque stripes, although they didn’t quite fit with the rest of the collection.

Overall, the offering was well executed, sophisticated and would look amazing on Kerry Washington.