KAELEN AUTUMN/WINTER 2015-16 READY-TO-WEAR NEW YORK

“Sweet but a little bit fucked-up.” That was Kaelen Haworth’s Fall précis, so who better a muse than Twin Peaks’ oft-referenced teenage vamp, Audrey Horne? Call it the Lynch influence (Haworth even chose her set’s red velvet backdrop based on the one used in Twin Peaks’ infamous Black Lodge), but this season found the Kaelen brand in quirkier spirits than usual, embracing a hefty dose of pattern-and-silhouette play, to mixed results. Per Haworth, “I wanted everything to have a purpose. There’s nothing that’s a real basic-basic.” And it was true—you’d be hard-pressed to find much in the way of Spring’s cleanly sportif looks. Here was a riot of color and texture, with retro shapes to spare. The brand expanded its array of custom fabrics, including a peach-colored floral jacquard with orange chevrons printed atop—presumably a reference to Peaks’ namesake landmark—whipped into A-line skirts, a trench, and a tent dress. But somewhere between all the fringed tweed, moto jackets, bold stripes, and a splashy, shimmering floral jacquard, the message got muddled. The strongest propositions here were some of the simplest, and still had plenty of play to them: a ladylike tie-front shift in tropical wool, a rosy lamé frock, and a fuzzy dove-gray bodysuit and matching duster (undeniably Miss Horne).