Late last September, a shop with a simple but catchy red and white polka-dotted awning opened its doors on Anfu Lu. Say goodbye to blah black staple pieces, and hello to Mayumi Sato's women's fashions. Mayumi's collections redefine versatility, employing classic breathable fabrics ingeniously cut to flatter any form, and to fit any occasion.

After just ten minutes in her store, one cannot help being bowled over by Sato's signature simplicity and innovation. Touch everything. It's a must, not only for the fine fabrics, but to really understand Mayumi's forte, one must really get personal with the pieces. Almost every garment is inventively designed with reversible sides, alternate fits and detachable pieces. Freud's cigar may be just a cigar, but even a scarf is not just a scarf in Mayumi's fall/winter '07 collection.

For example, on the day of my visit, the mannequin just inside the shop's door was draped in a soft, loosely woven scarf in a warm but gentle pink. When Mayumi appeared from the back, she revealed the flip-side of the scarf. What had appeared to be a delicate solid-colored piece is actually reversible, lined with luscious silk, and detailed with gumball-sized buttons, each wrapped in a different brave, bright print.

The playfulness of candy colors, but just a touch, against an elegant wrap suitable for a dinner party schmoozefest. Who could say no to fashions that look as good whether you’re holding a Frisbee or a flute of champagne?

This is genius of Mayumi's clothing collections. Each item is striking because it is well-composed with keen attention to detail -- not because it's loud. If you're ready to ditch itchy, heavy, skin-tight, and synthetic, Mayumi has smart new solutions that actually fit (a couple of ways), and free you from the boredom of single-color separates.

Miss Sato loves to mix and match, in contrasting fabrics, colors, and styles. In her boutique, all is wool and mohair, cotton and linen, juxtaposed with brilliant silks. Shapes are floating and feminine, sexy but demure, and the colors are, in Mayumi's words "sober" but always with a splash of contrast.

As masterfully as Mayumi combines colors and textures, she also interweaves elements of both Asian and Western styles. A Japanese-born designer, she trained in Tokyo at the famous Bunka Fashion College, then she worked in Paris for around four years. Hints of the kimono and qipao are both present, but made fun and accessible enough for everyday wear.

So this winter if you looking for new and interesting casual / formal wear, forget screaming sequins or runway unwearables that require the body of a coke fiend or a Grecian goddess, and check out Mayumi Sato's fashions - striking, smart and without the fanfare of your average glitterati gown.

Mayumi Sato
Location: 169 Anfu Lu near Wulumuqi Lu