As a designer, Stacey Bendet’s heart belongs to the 1970s. She loves an exaggerated flare, a bohemian frock, a disco sequin. Her collections are always peppered with references of that bygone era and, usually, they’re done up with plenty of sparkle and shine. For Resort, Bendet looked to a more subdued muse of that time period, and the pieces felt easier. Ali MacGraw was on Bendet’s mind—the Love Story Ali MacGraw and the free-spirited style that’s synonymous with her.
The movie’s Harvard hippie vibe came through in cute patchwork suede miniskirts and mixed-print maxi dresses. This season’s denim also referenced Ms. MacGraw, especially a pair of dark-wash high-waisted bell-bottoms. Bold melting pots of color, primarily the red and teal combinations and two-tone florals, didn’t quite gel with the boho aesthetic of this collection. But Bendet loves nothing more than to play with her themes, and she did a nice job balancing the obvious with the not-so-obvious here.
