Blow by Blow

'In these times there's limited support for Georgian frock coats," sighs British fashion designer Selina Blow, who nevertheless specializes in wickedly foppish, faultlessly tailored ensembles cut from such flamboyant fabrics as iridescent velvet. Homages to the great pre-twentieth-century dandies, "including Ivan the Terrible and Louis XIV," her suits also evoke "Cruella De Vil and Snow White's evil queen." Blow's taste for fine workmanship was passed down from her grandfather, celebrated Arts and Crafts architect Detmar Blow, while her exotic palette derives from her maternal antecedents, freedom-fighting Sri Lankan statesmen. Her collection now includes "less theatrical" ready-to-wear "that absolutely can be worn before 1:30 A.M."

A.F.C.