With a name like Love, it was only a matter of time before Richard Chai told the boy-meets-girl story. Men's style for women has been a part of his collection for years—even before he raised Love onto the runway—but for Resort, the designer was explicit. Chai courted schoolboyishness on one hand while exploring ease, volume, and femininity on the other. Slouchy suiting with patch-pocketed, shrunken jackets and loose, slightly droopy pants was a nod in the masculine direction. On the girlier end, there were trapeze dresses and floor-sweeping maxi skirts; they emphasized the fluid drape that's always been a Chai fascination.
The full spectrum of menswear and womenswear gives a designer a lot to play with—occasionally too much. Less would have been more on pieces like a little denim/viscose dress with a polo collar, exposed shoulders, cascading ruffles, and patch pockets, too. Better were some of the print and graphic offerings. A series of light cotton pieces looked dip-dyed, but on closer inspection it turned out the fine gradients of color were actually woven in. That's the sort of lighthearted (and, as important, light-handed) trick Chai has played in the past with his menswear collection. And that's just the right kind of borrowing from the boys.
