Sleek architectural suits ($600–$1,200) are Mayer’s claim to fame. But the clothes occasionally surprise: a stylish fitted cotton jacket in a bold 1960s geometric print, for example. This kind of twist on tradition—an exotic fabric, an unusual button, a flash of colour on the inside—is a hallmark. Clients love the eveningwear for its streamlined simplicity: perhaps a ’50s-inspired shirt-waist dress ($995) in sky blue or lavender. Spring 2008 offers myriad dress options, from sleek tailored day styles in fine blue-grey wool ($495) to the prettiest garden-party variety in red and white eyelet with a patent leather belt ($595).