Chances are the bulk of Nicole Miller’s clients are a few decades shy of the Summer of Love, but for Pre-Fall, the designer embraced an aesthetic of what she dubbed “modern-day Woodstock,” teaming a youthful take on bohemia with utilitarian touches. That late-’60s influence ended up being a relatively soft-spoken one, palpable largely in prints like a somewhat lurid, kaleidoscopic floral and what Miller dubbed “acid plaid,” a cool, distorted tartan. There were floor-grazing maxi skirts in a metallic camouflage jacquard, undeniably fun and downright modish when teamed with one of the designer’s cold-shoulder sweaters. Some pieces here might have stood to be left on the cutting-room floor, such as a field jacket in metallic copper leather; it clouded the message at hand a bit.
Miller’s strongest propositions were sweet and unfussy. A relatively demure sheath, for example, came with two zippered vents at the front that (in addition to adding edge) could transform the style to an A-line—utility at its finest.
