Béatrice Ferrant—the woman who helms Rochas’s men’s component—revealed her first collection for the brand pour les hommes today in Paris, taking appointments at Rochas’s HQ on the bustling, sun-streaked Champs-Élysées. It was a good first effort. And, as with all first efforts, it had its ups and downs.

There did not appear to be much correlation with the whimsical chicness of Alessandro Dell’Acqua’s Rochas woman (not that that’s a bad thing). Both collections do share a common thread in their exceptional materials—for the guys, Ferrant included soft tweeds, “hologrammed” silk and satin, mattress-thick cashmere, and high-grade leathers. “I started with the tuxedo, but wanted to make it more into the everyday,” said the designer. “But—this is not streetwear.”

Ferrant’s best work happened when she channeled that evening grandeur into lush-meets-robust daywear. A purple satin parka, with extruded pockets and a couture-esque shapeliness about it, managed that perfectly (it’s also available in cloudy silver). Same goes for cabled and crisscrossed dimensional jumpers woven with that aforementioned deluxe yarn. These were pieces that would look the part in a tasteful and well-heeled man’s 2017 wardrobe (especially if he, like many, is tired of the street gimmicks that have swept fashion over the past few seasons). Less sophisticated and less wholly conceived were iridescent blazers, overworked jeans, and leather jackets with graphic flourishes, such as one with a geometric embossed situation on the shoulder. Somehow these felt rushed, and not very original. Ferrant should focus on the balance—and not overdoing it. That being said, we’re excited to see Chapter 2.