Narciso Rodriguez's crisply cut separates came in a fresh palette of white, black, and nudes — accented by bold ribbons of crimson and pink — for Resort 2013. The designer's said that his main focus was ease, and thus there was a pared-down feeling to these bias-cut jackets, ankle pants, body-skimming camisoles, and strappy dresses. "The idea was to do something that was languid but still quite tailored," the designer explained.
Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli looked to the swinging silhouettes of the '60s and Andy Warhol's iconic portrait series for Resort 2013. "We imagined a playful and optimistic collection, using color as a structural, rather than decorative, element," Chiuri explained. To that end, there were tulle gowns in princess silhouettes — high necks, long sleeves, flared skirts, nipped waists — embroidered with cotton-candy-hued florals for night, and for day, lounge-ready pantsuits in vivid lace and hyper-colored leopard prints.
For Resort 2013, Rachel Comey offered up plenty of citified transitional options — and plenty of the brand's signature downtown cool. Among the standout pieces? A loose-fit peplum tank in soft black leather, a torso-skimming carrot-legged jumpsuit, and a kimono-wrap shift in Comey's newest fabric obsession: stonewashed denim. Also on offer were some terrific prints: a vivid mustard floral and a glorious pink wallpaper motif.
Thakoon Panichgul looked to the chandeliers of Fred Wilson and the "architecture of frosting" for Resort 2013, resulting in a cupcake-hued assortment that's sweet but not at all cloying. What gives these youthful separates so much appeal is the innovative mix of fabrics and prints — basket-weave linens, textured neoprene, floral jacquards, graphic gingham — and Panichgul's careful juxtaposition of geometric insets and softly rounded tailoring.
"This season we really wanted to zone in on pieces that women will want to wear every day," Suno designer Erin Beatty explained. While that may translate to relaxed silhouettes and easy downtown separates — boxy jackets, flared skirts, wide-legged trousers, slouchy shifts — it also means plenty of pieces that serve as excellent canvases for showcasing what Beatty and partner Max Osterweis do best: that is, creating dreamy, eye-popping prints. For Resort 2013, those prints come in a delightful array of colors and sizes, from rose-hued florals to jumbo graphics — all enticingly mixed and perfectly paired.
For Z Spoke's Resort 2013 collection, Zac Posen focused on creating eveningwear that's more affordable than what he offers in his main collection. "I wanted my girl to get the man and not go broke on the way there," Posen said of a new capsule collection of 25 dresses priced around $1,000 each. Those dresses — like the rest of the Resort line — focus on elevating cost-effective fabrics with Posen's signature details. The evening gowns, in bonded lace and stretch duchesse satin, feature the designer's telltale seaming. Daywear ranges from feminine suits (a white shawl collar jacket paired with wide-legged pants, for instance) to flirty skirts and tops with bows that tie at the neck. The dog lover among Posen's customers will appreciate perforated leather bags primed for carrying the family pooch.
