The co-founder of the well-received rebel brand-Ruffian Brian Wolk and Claude Morais always suck inspiration from the movie theatre European royal court culture and the American aesthetic. The style they present us is rebel to the limit but still elegant.

This is also what they sell. As to the 2013 RTW New York Fashion Week show.  Their romantic imaginings have sometimes tended to freeze their clothes in the past, but last season they smartly looked to their native Williamsburg for a creative spark, and their clothes seemed newly connected to the here and now.

The collection landed them a dozen new retail accounts. Crossing the East River produced slightly more mixed results, but that's mostly due to all those accessories partnerships. The caps and tassels and round wire eye frames weren't necessary when a silk printed with a Coromandel-screen motif efficiently relayed their message about Chinoiserie.

Those excesses aside, there were smart pieces here: a purple chalk-stripe pantsuit; a metallic bouclé zip-front coat; a fitted peplum jacket in a floral jacquard; and cropped, flared pants in the same gorgeous fabric. Wolk and Morais have an abiding interest and a real eye for traditional couture materials. Here's a business proposition for them: a side consulting gig in which they share their expertise in fabric development with other labels.