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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