The Reviews
Thom Browne
Thom Browne's resort women's collection might feature a herd of playful lamb handbags in every picture, but the line actually started with the idea of offering “a little bit of a refresh from fall,” he said.
“As you remember from the last collection — all the tweeds, there was so much color. Before this collection, I did want a little bit of a refresh in regards to coloring out the selections that were going to be in the stores; then there is an infusion of some color,” he said of the lineup, which started with grays, moved into soft pastels and collegiate colors, and ended in quintessential black-and-white tuxedo shades across his sharp black tie offering.
Tailoring, as always, was a prominent strongpoint of resort, as was his play on proportions. Browne's crisp opening look featured his signature, layered-up appeal with an exaggerated sportcoat, sleeves (with pin-tuck details), shoulders and hemline while two of resort's boxy dresses came in babydoll lengths.
“I do tend to prefer longer silhouettes, but there's something really nice about it because of my play on proportion. If I'm going to do something short, I'm going to do it really short,” he said, pointing out a striking black sequined formal dress.
“It's really feminine and sexy, but not being overly sexy in regard to the fit of the dress on the girl, and also, too, with the extended, exaggerated sleeve — there is something that makes it truly mine.”
Indeed it was, as were the eye-catching fabric manipulations that ran throughout. For instance, garments covered in tonal sequins, with intricate embroideries or in surprising (and delightful) silver metallic hues. While the designer played with a lot of classic gray wools and cashmeres, as well as signature prepster layers (cricket sweaters, tipping jackets), he also developed a fair amount of tweeds including pouffed, openweave (and classic). Also, a standout tweed that mixed in Browne's label.
“It is a combination of a lot of tailoring details, grosgrain, horsehair and then some more fabric tweed infusions — I've never seen a tweed like this. It's a new development that will probably be used in the future,” he said of the styles, which had internal horsehair constructions. Furthering the emphasis on finely finished internal constructions, Browne turned a handful of jackets, skirts and trousers inside-out.
“For me, especially going into couture this season, the construction is sometimes the most important and the most fashionable things of what I do. When you see the inside of garments that are done as beautifully as they are on the outside, that for me is what fashion should be,” he said, adding, “Especially in women's collections, I do want people to see the importance of tailoring in the collections and that it's really bespoke tailoring in regards to the inside construction of the pieces as well as it being adapted for a woman's collection. Real constructed, fully canvassed tailoring.”
But back to the lambs. Animal bags, especially the Hector handbag, were said to have become a big part of Browne's business.
“It's the type of things that we almost do as one-offs and a joke — it's kind of like the Hector bag at the beginning was a joke, and we sell more Hector bags than we sell any other bags. It's nice when you get to be able to play and people respond to the sensibility of that humor,” he said of resort's sweater bags. The same will surely apply to his new herd, which are as adorable and humorous as they are functional.
“Miss Little Bo Peep did not lose her sheep,” Browne joked, adding the collection's bonnets, hats, peter pan collars and bows not only added a dash of humor and played into the childlike story, but were a way to “keep the collection evolving as you're finishing it.”
Zimmermann
Last summer Nicky Zimmermann opened the doors to her Madrid store; while visiting the city, the designer spotted groups of people dancing together in the streets. Coincidentally, she noticed the same happening in Paris, which sparked interest around the idea of ‘50s dance halls.
“There were amazing candid photographs from in and around the '50s of people in gorgeous dance halls every Friday and Saturday night. Then I read this amazing article about how so many marriages came out of these local dance halls, so we called it Matchmaker,” she said of the collection.
Zimmermann has a knack for modernizing nostalgia through her luxe, girlish collections — resort was a play on both ‘50s fashions as well as the exuberance and movement of dance.
There were boyish roll sleeves on feminine dresses and sheer blouses; highneck cropped knits with crystal jewelry accents; statement pencil skirts; logo'd bandana placement prints on signature party dresses and tailoring, and barrel leg jeans with cropped jackets. Also, a great pair of denim hot shorts and cotton voile lace bra tops.
Zimmermann's thematic print of the season boasted painterly dancers, instruments and music. The playfulness was extended with a flirty leopard motif on voluminous, bow-adorned frocks.
While many looks riffed on the brand's signature 3D and printed florals, ruffles and buoyant crinoline hems, new skirts and dresses came with twirl-worthy, hand-gathered “cloud” shapes with corset waists and low scoop “sporty” tank necklines. Volumes felt fresh in the form of dresses with nipped in waists and exaggerated “ledge” skirts, as seen in a floral linen barkblock number, or black tie tuxedo looks with divine cat-eye necklines.
Ulla Johnson
In just a few short weeks Ulla Johnson will be opening the doors to her Los Angeles store. Her resort collection, fittingly, brings to life that California glow.
“We've been working on the store for two years and here we are three weeks out from opening. We went and shot the campaign in California, which was really important to me and sort of percolating in my mind throughout putting this collection together,” she said.
“This is this beautiful metallic fabric that we use for the season that has this incredible papery, lightweight finish and has a really gorgeous volume. I was thinking a lot about gilded surfaces and refracting the quality of the light — playing a lot with this idea of compression of release,” she said of a beautiful metallic jacquard top (with blooming 3D floral accent fastened at the neck), paired with vegetable tanned leather trousers, fuchsia topcoat and a pair of sleek metallic pumps — one of many exciting styles from her debut collection with new licensing partner HIM Co SpA.
Johnson continued the effect of painted sunbeams (also a nod to the sculptural works of Olga de Amaral) in both utilitarian (her Los Angeles-made denim was treated in bronze foil) and luxe ways — a suri alpaca wool coat, bonded with rose gold foil (and shown on the reverse), or rich metallic evening dresses. Two standout, fluid bohemian numbers with flounced hems boasted painterly florals in sheer jacquard and gold lame.
Like for fall, Johnson continued her study on working closer to the body across knits (an adorable red polo dress), outerwear, event and day dressing, while playing to proportions, as seen in a pistachio denim tulip skirt with cropped, voluminous jacket.
Also in mind, this year's epic superbloom (as seen through Johnson's look book photos, set at Malibu Park). Johnson, known for her love of flowers, thought about the blooms in both 3D and watercolor forms, nodding to the California seaside (also seen through the collection's wavelike motifs). The result included a mix of watercolor pansies atop batik geometries on silk twill; spiked floral motifs on cotton poplins, and folded 3D florals, frayed edges and ruffles that evoked the blooming process.
“The fact that all of this rain did lead to this superbloom was such an exciting moment. I was kind of meditating on the superbloom that whole time because when I lived in California, around 15 years ago, it was the last time they had a superbloom, so I kind of knew it was coming. It was like a bizarre fullcircle moment,” Johnson said of her California kismet.
Hervé Léger
Since 2018, designer Christian Juul Nielsen has been modernizing the house codes of Hervé Léger.
For resort, Juul Nielsen continued to elevate signature body-con, bandage and fringed looks with inspiration stemming from his Danish roots (specifically, the heritage and tradition of glass blowing in the small island of Bornholm). An abstract, nature-inspired jacquard (in both bright — lime and red — and tonal colorways) alluded to the idea most prominently.
However, the presence of drapey fringes, jewel tones and shimmering metallics, and the use of velveteen chenille and heavy-gauge knits, leaned heavily into the season's holiday spirit. There was a gilded bandage dress with draped fringe bust, a fully fringed and tiered golden number, a strong one-shoulder silver dress with pointelle detail, a dark purple mini with chenille striped inserts and detached sleeves, and color- and fabric-blocked matching ribbed and heavy-gauge knit sets and dresses in dark and light blue. The use of sensual cutouts and gilded hardware further elevated drapey, body-hugging knit jersey numbers.
LoveShackFancy
The LoveShackFancy girl is growing up.
For the resort season, designer Rebecca Hessel Cohen tapped into her signature “Sugarplum Fairy” inspiration for holiday dressing, “but taken up a million notches,” she said.
Most prominently, a take on Yves Saint Laurent's Le Smoking brought forth sharp tuxedo separates, which felt especially fresh for the brand over its signature girly assortment of laces (Victorian, Edwardian, Battenburg) and faded floralprinted fare. Also, the work of Karl Lagerfeld influenced shots of black and raw-edged, hand-crafted chiffon, charmeuse and organza rosettes. For instance, look two's ballet pink, rosette-adorned satin corset, paired with a sharp pair of low-slung black trousers; an offthe-shoulder white satin-draped corset with matching trousers (also a great bridal option), or a cropped blazer atop a ballet pink paillette slip. The looks melded the brand's well-known girlish glam with an elevated élan.
For holiday and party, Hessel Cohen worked with tulles, glitter, velvets, sparkles and plenty of “bows, bows, bows,” as seen in a great cropped hot pink sweater (boasting a large rosette) with voluminous ball skirt, a tartan mini, and crystal-bow embellished looks. Also, giant, detachable bespoke bows (worn in the hair, on the backs of dresses, etc.) — the one-of-a-kind pieces were not just look book accessories, but will be sold within their stores.
Never losing sight of her love of vintage, Hessel Cohen peppered in a good amount of softer dressing in a palette of neutrals and tropical hues, inspired by a trip to Morocco. Case in point: a cream hand-knit alpaca sweater with raw-edged silk charmeuse ribbons atop a scallopedged tiered, romantic tank and matching maxiskirt.
LoveShackFancy is approaching its 10th anniversary this year; Hessel Cohen's resort collection posed a strong new-yet-familiar look for the growing, global brand.