Designer Sylvie Millstein wanted her Resort 2019 collection to pop. Her main concern was infusing the clothes with hues that would instantly draw her customer’s attention, and thus she looked to a famous female artist who once had a similar idea. Photographs of paintings by the Abstract Expressionist Helen Frankenthaler hung on a board next to the collection. The painter’s fuchsia, deep green, and mustard yellow brushstrokes were mesmerizing, as were more than a few of Millstein’s latest wares. Of particular note was a sharp suit and a long gown with ruffled sleeves and a cut-out just below the chest, both in a beautiful buttercream yellow. Another standout was a bubblegum pink top with balloon sleeves and black bows tied at the bicep. Then Millstein segued to button-downs and wide-leg trousers in a flannel print, which felt like a story way outside the lines of a Frankenthaler masterpiece.
Statement pants, as in the Hellessy signature and best-selling skinny trousers decorated with one or two long sashes down the back, were here in bulk and seemed slightly repetitive. The draw to Millstein’s clothes is her sharp tailoring. She can trick the eye by adding extra sleeves to the hem of a long shirt and tying them around the waist for a trompe l’oeil look. This season, it was impressive to see her take the typically flowing and loose silhouette of a prairie gown and reconstruct it using heavy corduroy. Though she can miss a beat here and there, this designer gets props for making women rethink the way they get dressed up for day and night, whether it’s the idea of daring to wear a silk train on their work pants or a corduroy gown to a black-tie event.