Maybe it was last winter’s Polar Vortex, but designers left and right are referencing balmy, sun-dappled destinations for Spring ’15. Lyn Devon said she was thinking about her time in the Bahamas as a young girl, where glamorous women lounged poolside in maillots and heels—beehive hairstyles intact. “There was this flair and exuberance to the way they dressed,” she said. “And Harbour Island is covered in pastels, which I didn’t gravitate toward in the past. But all of a sudden they felt so fresh to me.”
Devon sweetened her signature ’60s-inspired silhouettes this season with shades of buttercup yellow, turquoise, and petal pink, grounded with neutrals like charcoal and taupe. A whimsical pineapple-print pant looked jet set-ready but didn’t immediately register as “beach attire,” thanks to the modern cropped flare. Conversely, to mimic a pareo skirt, Devon added wrap-front details to simple cocktail frocks. A mid-calf halter featured twisted fabric around the neck, and strapless bustier dresses had swaths of crisp cotton taffeta tied around the waist. All in all, this was a cute update on the sharp swing coats, pencil skirts, and shift dresses Devon’s customers are used to seeing.