After a season or two exploring harder-edged looks, Jill Stuart is going back to her roots. The flowy, flowery, soft dresses with which the designer first made her name are back in full force for Resort. The designer explained at her presentation tonight that she'd been watching Stones in Exile, the new documentary about the Stones' Villa Nellcôte sojourn, when the tax exiles holed up in the South of France with a bevy of beauties in tow. The three collection muses were two Stones-era style icons and one latter-day heiress to their throne: Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, and Charlotte Gainsbourg.
In this print-heavy collection, each even got a print named after her: blue water lilies for Anita, red lily pads for Marianne, and a spray of mixed florals for Charlotte. A host of dresses in the prints are cute enough to satisfy Stuart's large fan base, though sometimes—as in the case of a bow-front party frock—sweet turned to cloying. But trend watchers should be happy with the matching blouse-and-trouser sets that have been one of the big stories of Resort this year.
