Stacey Bendet had a vision before beginning work on her pre-fall 2020 collection for Alice + Olivia. She imagined a girl running through an open field, maybe in Colorado. The girl was wearing a flowy prairie dress, twirling and smiling with an upbeat attitude reminiscent of Julie Andrews singing “The Hills Are Alive.” Bendet was just coming off of a spring season that lived worlds away from this idyllic dreamscape: Her monochromatic neon lineup was all highlighter pop. Bendet decided she needed a breather from the bright colors and focused on earthier tones and silhouettes to live in rather than standing out in a crowd.
Bendet’s pre-fall collection was indeed more subdued than usual. There were pretty daytime frocks in soft browns and tans and pinks, along with prairie dresses and tops detailed with vintage-inspired grosgrain ribbon. Shapes were softer and more fluid, but Bendet did offer up a selection of tailored jackets, trousers, and shorts, as well as a black-and-white knit set. It was nice to see her take a softer approach, one that was approachable but still built on a foundation of the original Alice + Olivia flair.
