Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard didn’t cite a particular muse or inspiration for pre-fall. Instead, they were thinking about summer’s simple pleasures: late sunsets, warm breezes, weekends on the beach. The term they chose to sum up the collection was Sundaze, referring to that sense of relaxation and ease you spend most of winter looking forward to.
It was a more poetic, ephemeral concept than the references they’ve cited in the past, from ’80s decadence to the ’60s Youthquake to the great outdoors. In the collection, it mostly came through in the softer silhouettes and earthy color palette: terra-cotta, olive, ochre, chestnut, and slate blue, sometimes all swirled together on a patchwork-printed dress. (Those muted shades are already emerging as a big pre-fall trend.)
The Veronicas’ experiments with mixed prints also included a new tailoring language: a quilted denim jacket with panels of indigo florals. Overall, their tailoring is getting a bit softer: Out with the snug, gold-buttoned blazers of the past, in with the fluid crepe jackets. An ivory blazer with asymmetrical, diagonal buttons down the front will be popular with women looking for just a touch of novelty. That said, their best “suit” actually wasn’t a suit at all. An ivory crepe blouse and matching wide-leg trousers looked more appealing (and more comfortable) for an 80-degree summer evening.
