The first thing you saw walking into Rachel Roy's presentation was a nude-tone rainbow of trenchcoat-based looks on mannequins. "I call it the Band-Aid capsule," explained Roy. "You know how Band-Aids disappear on your skin? That's what I want these to do in a woman's wardrobe." The tight nine-look group of coats and dresses worked variations on the iconic utilitarian piece: a khaki coat edged in a large ruffle, a peachy belted sequin dress with epaulets. Roy seemed to kick herself for not doing it earlier. "The trench is so important to me, personally," she said. "Why am I not focusing on it?"
Sometimes the best thing is right under your nose. What does Roy's customer want? They want to look like her—forever polished and noticeably stylish yet never silly. And today the designer quieted some of the unnecessary flourishes that sometimes get in her way and instead let a mix of jewel brights and bold prints do the talking on slim shifts, loose dolman-sleeve blouses, and flaring skirts. Two peplum bustiers trussed superfluously over button-down shirts were the sole exceptions. "The intention is to grow with every collection," said Roy. Consider this a nice little spurt.
