As women’s tastes move away from prints and more toward mashed-up textures, the challenge for print-focused designers like Tracy Reese is how to keep up with the market without losing their voice. At Reese’s Spring ’16 show last September, the most interesting looks featured deconstructed swathes of tulle floating over sequined slip dresses, and what seemed like a one-off styling trick ended up informing her Pre-Fall collection. “We never planned to wholesale the sheer runway pieces, but I thought they would be perfect for this delivery because it gives us a way to layer without adding weight,” Reese explained in her Garment District offices. The concept also captured the designer’s whimsical, romantic spirit without relying on bright colors or digital prints. She pointed out a whisper-sheer moto jacket and said, “It’s so twisted!” What’s stranger than a jacket that doesn’t actually keep you warm?
Slightly more approachable was a sheer sweatshirt with ribbed cuffs or a see-through tulle skirt you could layer over a slip. Other looks in the collection were less directional—a few jersey dresses, for instance, didn’t feel particularly elevated—but the tulle items (which will be sold individually for endless mix-and-match appeal) have the potential to attract new, more experimental customers.
