Jenni Kayne built her business on easy-to-wear clothes with a distinct West Coast flavor, but for Pre-Fall she found herself dreaming of a distant land: Scandinavia. After helping her parents decorate a new home chock-full of Scandinavian antiques, Kayne became obsessed with the idea of a summer on the peninsula. Her presentation started with a custom Swedish striped print, which felt breezy and a little nautical on featherweight silks. Silhouettes were soigné and a touch slouchy—anything stiff would feel wrong in the Nordic countryside, after all.
Lace-trim slipdresses dipped well below the knee. "I keep waiting for it to stop, but I can't help going back to the '90s," Kayne said with a laugh. The decade has been a key influence for her since she started out, from those signature d'Orsay flats (which turned up as slip-on mules for this outing) to maxi skirts and plaid blouses. Here, the designer sourced a black-and-blue checked linen that looked charmingly androgynous on a pair of wide-leg pants. And gingham appeared on snug blouses, up-to-there shorts, and a relaxed cami-and-trouser combo. The pattern made a comeback last spring, but if Kayne's take is any indication, cool girls will be wearing it for seasons to come.