Getting away and escaping the confines of everyday reality is one of the season’s key themes. It’s not hard to reason why—just check the news alerts on your phone. Natacha Ramsay-Levi’s instincts at Chloé led her to Ibiza and Morocco and what she described variously as hippie modernism and New Age boho. This is sacred ground for the Chloé girl who lives for a festival frock, and Spring 2019 is Ramsay-Levi’s Chloé-est runway collection yet.
To set the tone, she opened with a one-sleeved long dress belted with a sarong-like half skirt. From there, she dove headlong into scarf prints: on head-to-toe separates, on a minidress. Texture was also a big part of it. The dense chenille-like knit she used for a clingy jumpsuit evoked ceramics patterns; the silk-viscose blend woven into tight plissés on a coat boasted a Persian rug motif. Ramsay-Levi clearly expended great effort on her textiles. That denim pantsuit you saw wasn’t denim at all but a fabric that the studio painted to achieve an ombré effect.
If the bags looked like they were going to work and the clothes said vacation, that seemed to be intentional. Ramsay-Levi is interested in bringing a holiday spirit into our day-to-day lives. She did that most obviously with the jewelry; layered together, the sculptural earrings, pendant necklaces, and cuffs took on almost talismanic qualities. There were also anklets and toe rings, and for nearly every look, a long scarf tightly woven into a rope belt whose ends dangled to the knees. The jewelry’s charms aside, the clothes with the most persuasive power exuded an elegant, unfettered purity: the plissé goddess gown worn by Grace Hartzel; the diagonally striped kurta, top, and pants inset with lace that made up a full wardrobe in one look; the white crocheted-to-the-ankle T-shirt dress that topped a violet bikini. Ramsay-Levi came out for her bow in scarf-print pants from the collection, a tailored blazer, and a plain white tee: modern and streamlined. This collection hit Chloé’s sweet spot, but it would be pleasing to see just a touch more of her in next season’s outing. She should trust that innate sense of cool she has.
