“Resort means nothing. Who buys clothes exclusively for going to a resort?” asked Oscar de la Renta at his presentation today. Who indeed? Even the rarefied crowd who shops for and wears four- and five-figure designer clothes wants value. De la Renta imbued his new collection with a good deal of that, opening his salon presentation with smart black-and-white looks, including a trim skirtsuit in tweed bouclé and a graphic coatdress with short, elbow-length sleeves. But just as often, he seemed eager to inject a fair bit of fun into the proceedings. That black-and-white coatdress was accessorized with fuchsia pumps, part of a renewed emphasis on footwear. Meanwhile, a silk faille bustier bared the midriff above a hip-slung skirt, and a bandeau top and shorts in Lurex-shot navy moire exposed plenty of shoulder and thigh. If those two looks seemed like something of a reach for the debonair De la Renta, it would take no stretch of the imagination to envision one of his ladies in the tomato red version of that bandeau top worn with wide-leg black culottes.

In the end, anyway, those daytime looks were just a preamble. The evening dresses were the undisputed winners of this collection. A long-sleeved, black lace ankle-length gown with contrasting lace trim struck an elegant yet youthful note, while a strapless dress in hot pink with bullion filigree and multicolored floral embroidery was exuberant and joyous—not to mention a breeze to maneuver in with its just-below-the-knee length. It would’ve been a major hit on the Met Gala red carpet last week.
—Nicole Phelps
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Tomas Maier has had a signature collection since 1997. The lifestyle brand is sold in his own shops in Palm Beach and East Hampton and more than fifty other retailers including Barneys and Net-a-Porter, and his neoprene bathing suits are pretty much the ne plus ultra of swimwear. But up until now, the label has taken something of a back seat to his work at Bottega Veneta, the Italian luxury goods company he’s turned into a $ 1.35 billion business. Thanks to a recent investment from Kering, the parent company of BV, that’s about to change. A Tomas Maier store is set to open at 956 Madison Avenue in New York this October, and when it does, the expanded Resort collection he presented at his new showroom today—with newly added categories like wovens, leather goods, and shoes and sandals—will be there.

“This is not another collection for the runway, this is not editorial, it’s not about a very high price point,” Maier said, adding, “I’m not going to compete against another line I design.” What separates Tomas Maier the collection from Bottega Veneta is its focus on everyday clothes and accessories. “Casual,” Maier said, “but still designed.” In his thirteen years at Bottega, Maier has distinguished himself as one of fashion’s most thoughtful designers, attentive to the tiniest details of fabric and finishings. But where sublime workmanship is the holy grail at BV, simplicity is what counts for him at his own line. In his new Resort offering, you’ll find a raw-edged wool peacoat; a Japanese denim dress; a white button-down with a fit lifted from the boy’s department; skinny jeans; and a fleece tracksuit to wear on overnight flights, among other elevated essentials.

There’s a keen sense of practicality to the clothes, and it extends to the accessories. From lace-up gladiators to Moroccan satin slippers, all of the shoes are flat, and most of the handbags will retail for less than $ 1,000, a remarkable figure considering most European-made bags start at $ 1,600 or $ 2,400. A few of the dresses will go for less than $ 500. Numbers like those, Maier pointed out, can’t be achieved with a lot of overhead, so you won’t be seeing a Tomas Maier runway show or ad campaign anytime soon, but that’s just the way he likes it. “I like the challenge, I like proving to the industry that maybe we can do something different.” Odds are, the customers are going to like it a hell of a lot, too.
—Nicole Phelps
Runway Feed

Nature was on Stella McCartney’s mind as she designed her latest collection for Adidas. And that was reflected here in quite a few ways: There were the impressionistic photographic prints of the countryside in the south of England, carried over from Pre-Fall, and wood-grain prints that were new; there was also an earthy palette including forest green and bark brown. But the really interesting engagement with nature was happening under the surface of this Adidas by Stella McCartney collection. For one thing, McCartney focused additional effort on using organic cotton, as well as introducing a low-waste dye process. Elsewhere, thermal running pants—featuring new “climaheat” technology—and McCartney’s first trail-running shoe were less exemplary in terms of sustainability, but these did suggest that McCartney would like people to get outside, into nature, rather than merely appreciating it as an aesthetic. And if that exploration of nature should go awry? Not to fear, as long as you’re wearing one of McCartney’s ski jackets outfitted with Recco geolocation technology. GPS tracking never looked so good.
—Maya Singer
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Rachel Zoe canceled her New York fashion week show in February to spend time with her newborn son and promote her new book, Living in Style. Taking a step back worked out for the celebrity stylist-cum-designer, whose new lineup felt more focused than those of seasons past. Zoe has a long-standing affinity for the glamour of the seventies, but this time around she went for a swinging sixties vibe, which tapped into one of Fall’s major trends. “I’ve said it before: I don’t think that my love for French ingenues of that era is ever going to change. It’s how you express that and make it new and modern,” Zoe said during a phone interview. She made references to the youthquake era with boxy jumpers and pleated miniskirts that looked fresh teamed with pointy oxford flats. Clean shift dresses were updated in a variety of novelty fabrications, including a slightly frayed tweed accented with delicate metallic chains, while classic bateau stripes were tweaked with graphic matte sequins. While there was nary a flared pantsuit in sight, Zoe managed to incorporate plenty of her signature tailoring throughout the collection. Among the highlights were a pair of pleated, wide-legged leather pants, as well as a houndstooth blazer shown with matching suspender trousers, and a menswear-inspired peacoat that popped in an electric “peacock” shade of blue. Still, Zoe couldn’t resist addressing the bohemian side of the sixties, so she also included lace baby dolls, groovy fringe tops, and brown suede bell-bottoms. They diluted the collection’s message a bit but should still appeal to her customer. All in all, this was a big improvement for Zoe.
—Brittany Adams
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Our review will be posted shortly. See the complete collection by clicking the image at left.
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