Rebecca Taylor – Pre Spring/Summer 2016 Ready-To-Wear

With the word eclectic being thrown around with the same frequency as buy now, wear now this Resort season, it’s good to be Rebecca Taylor. She has long been associated with a breezy, feminine aesthetic that’s a bit thrown together, skewing neither too bohemian nor too formal. While other designers in her category might be inspired by what’s happening at Louis Vuitton or Céline, Taylor sticks to her colorful, approachable vision. For Resort, she was feeling longer lengths, from billowing chiffon gowns to slouchy army pants knotted at the ankle—both of which featured tonal embroidery. In the past, Taylor did lots of intricate beading, but she put the same amount of detail into her threadwork here. The designer pointed out an icy blue quilted jacket with dense tribal stitching along the edges and called it the perfect travel layer: Roll it up in your suitcase and it bounces right back.

“I’m really loving the long, flowy femininity, but it can’t feel cloying or girly,” said Taylor. Slices of skin via shoulder cutouts and deep V-necks added just a little sex appeal to floor-sweeping dresses and diaphanous tops. But beyond a mostly blue color palette, there wasn’t a specific theme or inspiration. Instead, Taylor was simply thinking about year-round, “grabby” pieces—ones that draw you to the rack and feel irresistible. Her eye for print certainly played a role in that, and there was a tiny black and blush floral that even the color-averse would wear. “None of us need clothes,” she said wryly. “You have to want them. It’s that feeling you get when you see something new and you have to have it.” She would know; business is apparently booming.