With the holidays around the corner and Thanksgiving in the rearview mirror, you’ve probably scrolled through Instagram to find a few vintage photos of women on vacation: Grace Kelly in Cannes, Jane Birkin in London, followed by an “#ooo” caption and airplane emoji. For Haney designer Mary Alice Haney, it was a photo of Liz Taylor on the Amalfi Coast that inspired her new collection—and Haney’s own girls’ trip to Croatia and Venice over the summer.
“Every night we’d all go out in some glamorous outfit. Everyone really dressed to go out,” the designer explained. “So I was thinking about old movie stars and this idea of being on vacation all the time.” Or at least dressing like it. One thing Haney always does is celebrate the joy of dressing up; she wants her customer to feel like the best, sexiest version of herself when she wears a Haney dress, regardless of her age or shape. So as always, fit was everything: High-slit gowns hit at just the right spot, and sheer panels or cut-outs were strategically placed to elongate the legs. One dress was refreshingly simple and almost balletic, with a hammered-silk camisole top, nipped waist, and pleated Lurex-striped skirt. Haney pointed out a tiered gown in the same bronze-y fabric, explaining that you could wear it with heels or flat sandals; no need to be precious when you’re sailing in the Mediterranean. On that note, her silky loungewear, which came in a pretty Croatian floral print, would look at home in an Italian villa or on your transatlantic flight.
