In the late '60s and early '70s, James Mischka was a young boy living in Malibu. This Resort season, he and Mark Badgley were inspired by the "sunny colors and sun-drenched days" of that era. "We were thinking about the dresses our moms wore back then," Badgely said. (The Pandora station playing in the background during their lookbook photo shoot was aptly titled "California Dreamin'".)
It's not out of character for the duo to mine retro ideas, but this collection was particularly vintage in feel. Luckily, it never veered into costume territory. Standout looks included an icy blue strapless column dress embellished with 3-D yellow glass flowers, and a silk caftan in a "Hawaiian Punch" print. For those after something utterly modern, the designers offered a tank-back gown with a shimmering pink mesh top and metallic brocade skirt, which was belted at the waist with a corded black ribbon. The sharply pleated white handkerchief skirt and white crepe safari dress were elegant complements to a collection that was otherwise bursting with color—from the shift covered in baby-blue glass beads and dotted with pink appliquéd flowers to a one-shoulder number in purple hothouse-floral lace.
