After Fall's darkly romantic fairy-tale romp, Alice + Olivia designer Stacey Bendet hit the books again for Resort, with a collection inspired by _One Special Summer._ The fancifully illustrated travelogue of Jacqueline and Lee Bouvier's trip to the Continent when they were, respectively, 22 and 18, chronicles their exploits—and even a few brushes with would-be suitors. The designer riffed on the glamour of mid-century European travel through pattern and silhouette, with sweet separates like A-line skirts (one boasted horsehair for a fifties fullness) and culottes. A floor-length shirtdress in a floral hammered silk was memorable; Bendet scored with her more-vintage-inspired prints.
A bold sunflower jacquard succeeded prettily; literal nods to Bendet's theme less so. Whether the Alice + Olivia customer will be keen to snap up a particularly acidic digital print of Cinque Terre with superimposed butterflies, or an intarsia bathing beauty seen reclining on a pullover, is up for debate. A beautiful sequined bomber will have wider appeal. The collection felt unfocused in places, and the references were too prolific. After all, can you really tell the story of a whole trip in one sitting?
