Is Stefano Pilati lightening up? The Yves Saint Laurent Resort collection he showed in New York today was a much less sober affair than his last ready-to-wear outing, and very welcome for it. The presentation took place in the tony Upper East Side environs of the French Consulate, a fitting setting for a collection that felt thoroughly Gallic in spirit. Picking up a theme from his Fall runway but interpreting it differently here, the designer turned the pendant silhouettes he made from old YSL images into bold floral prints, splashing them down the side of a nipped-waist silk dress or across the front of a slim above-the-knee skirt worn with a delicate blouse.
The clothes, not unlike those he showed in March, hinted at the seventies, with high-waist trouser suits for day, and for evening, a white and black bandeau paired with a floor-scraping black skirt. This time around, though, he injected vibrant shades of coral, lilac, and fuchsia (quintessential Saint Laurent colors), along with darling butterfly and clover prints for little shirtwaist frocks and flared jumpsuits, and witty stacked-heel espadrille sandals.
"Always within myself there's the big debate—how can you avoid references but at the same time be respectful," Pilati said, looking dapper and relaxed in an open-necked shirt and red neckerchief with a violet in his lapel. In the case of Resort's sexy smoking jacket worn with bloomer shorts, sheer hose, and gold crystal-studded heels, he embraced the YSL legacy but added his own of-the-moment twist. It was the show's big hit.
