Etienne Derœux isn't one of our SPACE designers yet, but he will be soon. So, fair warning: this is something of a tease. True enough, you have to wait six months for all the spring runway looks we've been showing you, but at least with most of the designers we're reporting on, you can use this as inspiration when shopping their current seasons now.

Hold tight, though. Derœux's simplicity and elegance are worth the wait.

This cut-and-shaped, belted shirtdress with its wide blue stripes-shown inside the amazing setting of Atelier Brancusi, the former studio of the Romanian/French sculptor-isn't making it any easier. But come take a look around. Patience is a virtue worth cultivating.

Constantin Brancusi wasn't just a sculptor, he was an arranger. In the latter part of his career, most of his work was about curating a place where visitors could come and view his pieces. Columbia University provides an excellent account of the replication and restoration of his workroom within Paris's Centre Pompidou campus.

Derœux's pieces felt very much at home there.

The French designer is a graduate of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Antwerp -the same place that helped shape Dries Van Noten and Ann Demeulemeester (whose shows we'll be reporting on tomorrow). While his lines for this upcoming season were fluid and feminine, there's a sense that he's working with negative space and taking-away to create form. Just as a sculptor does.

On the other hand, the very usable, wearable sportswear nature of his pieces fits into the setting because one can easily imagine the cultured, engaged woman who visits Atelier Brancusi wanting to dress this way.

In a city often known for complex concepts and clothes that belong to the very height of fashion, it's refreshing to see such buzz and interest around a designer who treats sport references and everyday dressing as serious business.

On my way to the next show, I passed Erin Wasson in Etienne Derœux pasted up on the side of a building in looks I had just seen on the runway. Turns out that was Derœux's attempt to share the looks with all.

There's a lot to look forward to, that's for sure.

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-Laura Cassidy