Call it destination dressing. For his spring collection, Michael Kors created a wardrobe with a specific locale in mind: the tiny Mediterranean island of Capri, where pleasure-seekers spend their days yacht-hopping in the harbor and their nights table-hopping at the cafés.
The designer excels at giving classic cuts a sexy edge and a sly spin of luxe, and this season’s jet-set theme gave him carte blanche to pile it on. He added bright gold zippers and contrast stitching to slim jeans; cut miniskirts and motorcycle jackets out of supple suede; and wrapped a prizefighter-size gold belt around a suede romper. Typical Kors hallmarks included leather luggage straps in place of ties on a halter dress, nautical references, and his signature mix of high and low fabrics (silk and canvas, for example). He used white, black, and khaki as a backdrop to set off colors—like vivid orange, yellow, cobalt, and green—which were far more intense than the muted tones generally in favor this season.
For a major designer, Kors didn’t offer much in the way of full-out evening glamour, just a few simple gowns and one beaded dress as blue as the Mediterranean. But his color-blocked cashmeres, swingy silk jersey skirts, crisp organdy shirts, and dresses in blue-and-white awning stripes will certainly make his customer feel ready for Capri—even if she’s stuck in midtown.
