When a brand has long been associated with floral prints, there's an inherent pressure to always keep fresh. The cheery prêt-à-porter spirit that defined Cacharel 50 years ago remains a calling card today, and you can see how the brand is focusing on this strength rather than striving to be directional. A light Swiss crepe that was once a staple of Cacharel past has made a comeback—as an airy short-sleeved white chemise or pintucked skirt, it's doable for day. The feature flower print can be traced to the Parc de Bagatelle, a floral oasis on the outskirts of Paris where plots of land become carpeted in blossoms each summer. The watercolor effect played into Cacharel's ingenue spirit, especially when it appeared on empire-waist dresses and pinafores. A secondary print of abstracted white birds soaring through midnight blue space gave the distinct impression of late-period Braque. Fuller, flamenco-style skirts featuring both prints extended high up the waist so that, proportionally, they partnered well with cropped poplin tops. Jackets—sleeveless and mannish or egg-shaped and mod-ish—confirmed that Cacharel has range beyond pretty pleated dresses (the strongest, in Sevres blue, directed the pleats to the back). In sum, the collection offered several wardrobe refreshers for those who see the world through a rose-tinted filter.
